Thursday, July 2, 2009

Artown ... and stuff

I love summertime when you can do things outside that you usually do inside. Like the summer I was an intern in Wenatchee and in nearby Leavenworth they had three shows outside every summer. Every year they do "Sound of Music," which is perfect for their little Bavarian Village setting, and the other two performances are different each year. Oh, I loved it! They put on a wonderful show and in some scenes the actors walked right through the audience.


I insisted Chris and I have lunch al fresco on Wednesday when he was off work ... I don't think he minded.

Also, when I lived in San Jose, there were outdoor movies in San Pedro Square - they'd shut down the whole street and people would bring chairs and sit outside and watch the movies (they also showed the "Friends" finale this way). They have outdoor movies here, too, on Tuesdays at UNR throughout the summer (I've gone with friends the past two weeks), and each Friday during Artown at Wingfield Park, which is right downtown and on the river.


Which brings me to ... Artown. Last year, I really had no idea what it was and could care less because I was preoccupied with getting married and all. Except, on the last day I was assigned to write a story about it, and it was the Harlem Gospel Choir, and it was incredible, and I wondered why I didn't go to any other events before it ended. Artown is basically a month-long arts festival. It starts July 1 and runs through July 32. Almost everything is free, and there's not just one thing every day, but many things to do each day. So, I thought it would be fun to volunteer and get to see some cool stuff while I'm at it. Tonight was my first night, and Thursdays are Dancing in the Park. The group was called Wing & A Prayer. Tomorrow I'll be working Rollin' on the River - live music on the river every Friday - and movies follow in the park. (Just to give an example, other than those two events Friday, there are 10 other events including a play, an author reading and a poetry slam.) So, basically I get there a couple hours before the event, help set up, get people to fill out surveys, and once the show starts I'm pretty much free to watch until it's over and then I help take down. Not a bad deal, plus they feed me and I get a free T-shirt ... and who doesn't want a free T-shirt, right? (Although, it is two sizes larger than what I requested, but whatev.) The dancing tonight was pretty cool (although I'm pretty sure I'm not super into solo dance performances - they kind of bored me). See a little sample below!

5 comments:

Julia said...

Ah yes, I see your point. Are we sure they aren't just doing fast yoga set to music? And on that note, the music isn't helping.

Tammy said...

See ... and those aren't even the solo performances. Perhaps I'm not cultured enough to appreciate it? But Rollin' on the River this afternoon was pretty cool - live music and people came and staked out their spots early, then went for a dip in the river before bands started. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go one Friday (in a non-volunteering capacity) before the month is up ...

Marina said...

um, when exactly is July 32? I don't see it on my calendar.

Tammy said...

Teehee. All the Artown events are typically in July, but this year in wraps up August 1, so they put it as July 32 on their schedule.

volksbloggin said...

I'm glad Marina asked about July 32 ... I assumed it was a typo.

Ah, eating al fresco, how nice. Benny asked me what "al fresco" is last weekend and when I told him, he said "why can't you just saw eating outside?" Ah men.

And I adore summer outdoor events in normal climates like Reno (can tell the humidity is frying my brain along with my hair). In Port Hueneme, Benny and I used to go to outdoor Shakespeare plays at a local college. We would pack a dinner, sneak in wine and cuddle under a blanket while we watched the show.

And I'm super happy for your volunteerism efforts. It sounds like a great opportunity. I would be your volunteer buddy if I was there ...