Sat 9/17 @ 2-11PM
This weekend, get out to Lorain for the second annual FireFish Festival. Last year’s event was a huge success, which has resulted in continued support to make this year’s event even more special. The event is presented by the FirstEnergy Foundation, supported by Ohio Arts Council, and is in partnership with Lorain County Community College.
The idea is to engage your senses, and to excite Lorain. And to bring people into the melting-pot city on Lake Erie, whose heart was once one with industry. According to its website, FireFish Arts is devoted to “creating a gold new vision of arts event-based civic engagement, commerce, and enterprise through which downtown Lorain, the community and the region can work toward building a renewed creative economy.” And why not? Art is everywhere these days, and people are becoming more and more empowered to create it.
The best way to showcase the arts and to make them accessible to everyone is to make it free. And that’s what FireFish has done. The free event will present art in all its various forms in every corner of Broadway Avenue it can find. Stages will light up with dance and theatrical performances and musical concerts. Just like Ingenuity in downtown Cleveland, empty storefronts, rooftops, abandoned buildings and alleyways will be transformed into places to showcase art. Even the fire escapes and alleys will become show places. Follow Broadway all the way to Black River Landing on the waterfront for a complete adventure.
Executive and artistic director James Levin created the event. He’s ignited downtown Cleveland, Ohio City and Gordon Square. His magic should work this time as well. One special touch is a 25-foot paper mache fish, which was created by Lorain’s FireFish STEAM Academy, that will be set aflame and placed in the Black River after the days’ end parade.
Highlights include opera performances by Great Lakes Light Operas, orchestral sounds provided by the Sammy De Leon Orchestra, aerial artists Jasmine Dragons, piano playing by Angelin Chang, and sound artist Jeremy Bible’s audio installation in the Palace Theatre. Local artwork will be on display and for sale. Food and beverage vendors will keep you full and hydrated.
Follow the lakefront west to Lorain this weekend for the FireFish Festival from 2-11PM on Saturday. Find out more at firefishfestival.com and check out this video interview with master stager James Levin.
Claudia (Weston) Taller went to high school at Lorain’s Admiral King High School. You might just find her in downtown Lorain this weekend. For more about Claudia, go to claudiajtaller.com/.
Lorain, OH 44052