Masquerade on Trade

There are Halloween costumes, and then there are Halloween costumes in the Arts District ! The final Arts on Sunday Festival for October 2012 is coming up; and, as is customary, will feature a Halloween Costume contest. D.J. Ralph Shaw will spin the tunes.....and I wouldn't be too surprised if he kicks off the afternoon with MONSTER MASH.  Well, why not ?  It's a Graveyard Smash.  And for me, IT'S NOT BEACH MUSIC.  Although his song selection will inevitably include a beach music set, I'll keep singing the Monster Mash in my head in an effort to obliterate that tired old stuff. (Musical opinions expressed here are, of course, merely the opinion of this blogger, who means no disrespect toward the event, the D.J., or the people who like the stuff....I just gotta be me-e-e-e-e.)

As always, the Festival runs 1-5pm on Sunday afternoon.  The 500-600 blocks of Trade Street will be lined with tents and tables displaying an awesome variety of art and craft.  Our favorite mime act will be there as well, maybe even his stilt-walking sidekick. And many of the shops and galleries will be open as well, including Earthbound Arts, Retro Art Ware, Studios at 625, Woodland Moth, Red Dog Gallery, Willy Nilly,Lucky Strike Boutique, The Other Half, Delurk Gallery, and Unleashed Art Center. Sunday Brunch is served at Finnigan's Wake and 6th and Vine restaurants.

Bring yourself, your family, your dog (in costume, of course), and your evil twin.  Masquerade on Trade will be fun for all and all for fun.  Spooktacularly Booo-tiful.

For more info about this AFAS group event and numerous other programs, go to their website at www.theafasgroup.com.
Here are some of my favorite costumes from previous incarnations of Masquerade on Trade:

RJR Students Perform at Arts on Sunday Festival

Every Sunday in October

Arts on Sunday Festivals are held every Sunday in October and again in May of each year.  The RJ Reynolds High School Visual and Performing Arts groups take the stage during one of the Sundays in each series. Their October engagement is THIS WEEKEND, Sunday October 21st, 1-5 pm. They will treat the crowd to what amounts to a variety show all afternoon.  We get to hear the orchestra and the jazz band perform. Past performances have also included dance routines from the famous Dancing Boots and excerpts from the school's theatrical production of Alice in Wonderland.

How It All Started

 Arts on Sunday Festivals have evolved into one of the premier events series in the Arts District.  The event was conceived a few years ago as a collaborative effort to promote Sunday Brunch at Finnigan's Wake and 6th and Vine restaurants and to provide artists with an opportunity to display and sell their creations.  That handful of tables and some acoustical music in the area between Finnigan's and 619-625 Trade Street has blossomed into a lively Sunday afternoon arts festival that spans the 500 and 600 blocks of Trade Street as well as the 200 block of 6th Street.  Each Sunday features a different theme, with a terrific array of live musical performances.

Music and Artists and Fun, Oh MY!

Other street performers provide additional entertainment. A mime wanders around interacting with kids and adults. Sometimes we get a balancing act demonstration.  Balloon artists, clowns, hula hoops, chalk drawing in the street--guaranteed fun for everyone.  There is always a kid's booth set up where kids get to create something special to take home with them.  Dozens of artists' booths and tables line both sides of the street, and many of the retail shops and galleries are open too.  Meet and greet the artists and watch as some of them create works of art before your very eyes.

Eat, Drink, Shop, Watch Football, Enjoy

The weather forecast for the upcoming weekend is for an absolutely delightful, sunny, mild autumn afternoon.  There is plenty of parking one block away in lots with entrances off Liberty Street, as well as the parking deck at the corner of Cherry and 6th Street.  Our friendly neighborhood bike patrol is there to look out for everyone's safety.  Restaurants and pubs abound. In addition to Finnigan's and 6th & Vine, there is Chelsee's Coffee Shop in the 500 block; and Mary's Too/Breakfast of Course and the District Restaurant in the 700 block of Trade, all of which serve scrumptious meals, cold beverages, and NFL football on wide-screen TVs.

GIT UP OFFA DAT THANG !

If you are one of those who haven't been to Downtown Winston-Salem lately, this is an ideal time to treat yourself to a trip to town!!

The AFAS Group
Trade Street Tracker on Facebook

Asphalt Art

Who doesn't love the gigantic asphalt canvas created by closed-off-streets?
Retro Art Ware, located at 608 N Trade St., always supplies a box of colored chalk for kids to use to create art on the street pavement.

One little girl lay down in the street as her mother traced around her shape.  Then the girl added hair and facial features to the chalk shape. The finished drawing was a wonderful, happy-go-lucky creation that danced before your eyes.