Arts & Entertainment
Local Arts Scene on Display at PrairieFest
From rock stars to belly dancers, from painters to quilters, festival has it all.
Scratch just below the surface of the carnival rides and midway games of PrairieFest and you'll find a weekend full of artistic experiences.
For starters, the PrairieFest Main Stage features national headliners and local musicians.
“We like the Main Stage to feature not just big names but also local talent,” said Margaret Gienger, PrairieFest coordinator.
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A team of people working with the stage manager decides which acts to include. The team considers bands that are going to be touring the Midwest around the time of the festival.
“We pick the bands that we think will be popular and invite them,” Gienger said. “We were very lucky that bands like Blue Oyster Cult and Sister Hazel accepted.
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The lineup of local talent is nearly as impressive as the headliners. One of the earliest performances of the festival is the annual performance by the Oswego Prairie Winds Concert. This PrairieFest tradition will continue at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the hospitality tent.
April Year, a band made up of recent graduates approached the committee about performing.
“We listened to their demo and liked it.” Gienger said.
The band will perform at 1 p.m. Saturday on the Main Stage.
Another must-see Saturday performance is Real Women Belly Dance. Five-year veterans of PrairieFest, RWBD is a local group of women dedicated to studying belly dancing and having fun.
“It's been great being part of PrairieFest.” said RWBD member Annette Egan. “This year we will be performing seven dances during our half-hour show. There will be traditional Egyptian music as well as tribal, fusion, Bhangra, African and Latin influences.”
Hix Brothers Music will have many of its students performing at the Fest, as well. Their three-hour show Sunday starts at noon and will include many bands, featuring a wide range of ages and musical styles. The Junior Allstars (ages 15 – 17) and the New Allstarts ( 7 –13) will perform rock and blues covers.
Two bands, C-Rex and OMG, grew out of Hix Bros' teen “Rock Around an Hour and a Half” program. Other groups include Six Hix Chix, an all-female band with only four members and a ukulele ensemble.
The Hix Bros guitar marching band will be marching in Sunday's parade complete with electric guitars and battery powered amps.
The final main stage event from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday will be . Despite being inspired by shows like America's Got Talent, the talent showcase will not be a competition. Gienger described the event as “more like an open mic night.” The talent showcase will be hosted by the Village Cultural Arts Commission.
In addition to local performers, PrairieFest will feature many local artists at the Expo Village. Visitors can wander the booths and enjoy local artists of nearly every stripe.
Regular Prairiefest attendees will be happy to hear that Quilters Dozen will once again hold their display and raffle at the . More than 100 quilts will be part of this display of one of the oldest American folk arts.
This year's raffle prize is a new quilt designed by local quilter Jean Page.
“Quilting is an art handed down through generations but it's also something anyone can pick up.” said quilter Sandy Dickinson. “You just decide to try it. You start cutting and sewing and soon you've got a quilt.”
