Big Sam of Big Sam’s Funky Nation. Photo courtesy Tony Ciaccio
At a time when even the notion of a free festival closing down a stretch of North Boulevard, or any other major city artery, raised more eyebrows than eager hands, Mary Ann Sternberg was concerned with something else entirely.
“I thought the name was really schmaltzy,” says Sternberg, an original board member for the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge.
In 1973, the congregation of visual and performing arts that would evolve into FestForAll was known largely as the “Spring Arts Festival.”
But as the Arts Council honed in on the event’s inclusive and eclectic mission statement, Sternberg, an author and veteran journalist, took the lead on publicity efforts for the fledgling nonprofit that had just recently sprung out of the Junior League of Baton Rouge.
“The board was talking about putting on a ‘festival for everybody,’” Sternberg recalls. “I just shortened that idea to calling it ‘FestForAll.’”
The essence of the event remains the same years later.
“We’ve put a call out to hear from everyone from choirs and blues guitarists to children’s groups, asking them ‘What would you do if you had this amount of time and this venue?’” says Eric Holowacz, former CEO of the Arts Council. “FestForAll is about letting the community show what it wants, and not pretending to be something gigantic with a big budget. This is a downhome gathering of people. It’s a celebration of what we do and how we do it.”
The festival’s DIY nature is best reflected in its ever-growing arts market. This year, more than 100 creatives from 15 states are expected to display and sell their latest work—everything from paintings and sculptures to jewelry and clothing.
“These people travel from far away and make FestForAll a very robust place to find unique, amazing, handmade things,” Holowacz says.
Show promoter Rob Chidester, who was one of 225’s 2015 People to Watch and is known for his popular Drop the Needle tribute concerts, is helping corral a slate of local singer-songwriters to complement touring performers.
“We’ll add some busker-style performances of blues, folk, Celtic and Americana music,” Chidester says.
The FestForAll headliner on Saturday, March 28, is critically acclaimed blues artist, film composer and actor Chris Thomas King. On Sunday, funk rock band Big Sam’s Funky Nation plays.
While the Children’s Village near the Old State Capitol offers activities for the youngest Baton Rougeans, the Arts Council’s Jonathan Grimes hopes to make the music portion of FestForAll more interactive and unexpected for adults, with these “pocket” busker performances orbiting the more traditional main concert stage.
“The idea,” Grimes says, “is you have to seek it out a bit, but once you find it, it’s a more memorable experience.”
ABOUT THE EVENT
FestForAll runs March 28-29 in downtown Baton Rouge. For updates, the music lineup and complete details, visit artsbr.org.
