By Kate Bartlett
The Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts (EAFA) is celebrating its 21st year after a 2-year hiatus. The festival runs Saturday August 27-Sunday August 28 in the renown Elmwood Village, just north of downtown Buffalo. Shop 170 world-class artists, see live music, dance and puppetry on 4 stages and participate in KidsFest with hands-on activities for all ages in four large tents. The festival also boasts food from around the world with may healthful options along with award winning beers and ciders. In addition to the four stages, the festival features roaming performers with over sixty-five local performers, as well as an After-Hours Concert on Saturday from 6-8:30pm. Visitors of all ages can learn and appreciate arts from a variety of cultures along with non-profit groups highlighting their important work in Environmental Row.
Joe DiPasquale is cofounder of the festival and has directed it for all of it’s years. Joe and his wife Tanya Zabinski have been artists and vendors in the arts and crafts and music festival circuits for over thirty years. “We took what we saw as the best programming at many different festivals and incorporated them in to Elmwood.”
Joe and his team are enthused to be back this year. “We sure missed celebrating the creative spirit of our community over the past two years. The Pandemic has made it abundantly clear how interconnected we are, in so many ways. The festival has always tried to bring together people of different backgrounds, ages, and beliefs, as well as people from different neighborhoods and communities. By coming together, we gain insight into what can hold us together. We gain insight into our commonalities. What better way to do that than singing, dancing, eating and making art. Let’s celebrate!”
Most artists at the festival (about 80%) are local. The remaining 20% are curated by the festival to represent the best in arts and crafts. “We want to inspire and help jumpstart more small, local arts and crafts businesses. The festival is a grassroots economic development tool for our community. Every dollar spent within Western New York has a multiplier effect that helps build the local economy. When a dollar is spent with a national chain, that dollar leaves the community much faster. It’s vital to our community to shop and support local.”
According to Joe, the KidsFest at EAFA is second to none. “There is no event in the country that I know of, that has the quality hands-on activities that our festival has. We made our own hand cranked drill presses that allow children to drill pieces of wood and then saw and sand them to create their own wooden toys.” KidsFest is focused on celebrating and educating through the arts. By offering hands-on collaborative art projects, they strive to bring children from different backgrounds, ages and abilities with a common goal. Their projects foster creative teamwork while inspiring minds of all ages.
The venue of the festival is in the vibrant Elmwood Village along the shop lined streets and historic houses. Take time to linger in the open-air café’s and browse the independently owned artisanal shops and vendors that make this neighborhood so rich. The Elmwood village has been recognized as one of the country’s 10 best neighborhoods by the American Planning Association and is home to some of the city’s most popular shops, bars and restaurants.
Joe’s favorite thing about the festival is the camaraderie. “We have a great team of volunteers joined together with a common goal. We promote so much of what can bring our diverse community together. Not just the Elmwood Village, but all of Western New York. ‘Many hands make light work’ and we’re still looking for volunteers. For more information or to sign up visit https://elmwoodartfest.org/volunteers/
As always, this year’s festival aims to be environmentally friendly and sustainable. Recycling and composting will be readily available with volunteers to assist in clean-up. Healing Arts, including yoga, Pilates, and meditation will be featured, including a few Buffalo favorites. For a full list of artisans, performers showcase, festival café menu and map, visit https://elmwoodartfest.org/. The event is free, and runs Saturday August 27 10am-6pm, with after-hours concert 6-830pm, Sunday August 28, 10am-5pm. Follow on social medial @ 21st Annual Elmwood Festival Avenue of the Arts.
Continuation large quotes: “The festival is a grassroots economic development tool for our community. Every dollar spent within Western New York has a multiplier effect that helps build the local economy. When a dollar is spent with a national chain, that dollar leaves the community much faster. It’s vital to our community to shop and support local.”