T'was the First Day of ArtsFest

ArtsFest.

Something about the mention of “art festivals” dredges up, for me anyways, memories of row after row of collapsible white tents, sweltering summer heat and far too many meandering old women on the prowl for hand-made, ceramic soap dishes.

Fortunately, the Central Florida ArtsFest is absolutely nothing like what I’ve just described.

Ask any Floridian artist and they’ll be quick to tell you how renowned this festival is. With 205 events spanning across four counties over the course of ten days, it’s be a pretty big deal. Not to mention the fact that it’s sponsored by Bank of America and United Arts.

I, on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing about it until I was chosen to document it.

Therefore I had no idea what to expect when I pulled into the parking lot of the Enzian Theatre for the kickoff of ArtsFest last night.

From the moment I parked, all of my preconceived notions about art festivals were immediately thrown to the wayside.

The outside of the venue was nothing like I expected. It was cool and green and landscaped with meticulously groomed hedges that curled around stone pathways leading to an outdoor bar. The lawn stretched from the bar down across the hill, at the base of which an enormous movie screen was being erected.

While walking towards the entrance, I passed hundreds of hand-made, paper mushrooms. They were sticking out of bushes and poking out of the ground in all directions, and beside one particular patch was a sign that read “Free Mushrooms!”.

I smiled; what an interesting little quirk. That was the moment I knew that ArtsFest was going to be unlike anything I’d experienced thus far.

I met up with Cory Warren, who outfitted me in an official ArtsFest 2010 Orlando Magic jersey that hung past my knees, and then I was loosed on the event with my Flip video camera in hand.

First thing I did was hurry into the theatre itself. Again, I was blown away.

Remember those uncomfortable, squeaking, folding movie theater chairs? You won’t find them at the Enzian.

Instead, the theatre is outfitted with plush sofas and chairs, each with an adjoining table upon which sits a menu, with every option from steak tacos to Bavarian chocolate cake. Plus- a wine list??

I was astounded! But from there, the excitement only grew as guests, volunteers and even some ArtsFest performers began to arrive.

I was certainly surprised when a boy in a black tie blew past me on a unicycle more than once, and every time I’d turn around, I’d somehow strike up a conversation with someone interesting.

Perhaps one of the most memorable events for me was being tugged into the 95.3 Radio Station tent. The guys were quick to teach me the tricks of the trade, and they enthusiastically stood by as I spun disks for the first time in my life.

I trekked all across the venue all day long, side-stepping over paper mushrooms and talking to as many people as I could. I met Tutu and her husband, stars of Orisirisi Drum Sermons: Folktales, Legends and Myths from the Far Corners of Africa, which will be performed on Saturday, Feb. 13th from 1:00-2:00 p.m.. Then I tip-toed through a row of paper mushrooms-

Okay stop. What the heck is up with the mushrooms?

I eventually found the proprietor of the paper mushroom trade, who explained to me that his art had nothing to do with fungus at all. The Spore Project, developed by Doug Rhodehamel, is a worldwide effort to promote awareness for creativity in everyday life. Doug often travels to schools, promoting the importance of art and self-expression. You can visit his website at http://www.dougrhodehamel.com/spore_project.php

Finally it was time for the scheduled events to get started. I plopped down into a red plush sofa and for an hour and a half, I watched Pee Wee Herman be silly on the big screen.

When the movie had ended and the crowd was beginning to disperse, I played back through the footage I’d captured throughout the day and one thing in particular stood out to me.

Even though the theatre was gorgeous and the landscaping was beautiful and the movies were amusing, that’s not what made the day memorable.

It was the people that made ArtsFest such a great event. Their quirky personalities were the forces that drove the festival and made it worth attending.

With that thought in mind, I felt excited for the next nine days to come. All of the artists I’d met at The Enzian were so interesting and fun- imagine the sorts of characters I had yet to meet during the remainder of the festival!

On the way back to my car, I paused for just a moment. I then plucked up a handful of paper mushrooms, grinned, and headed off to prepare for the second day of ArtsFest, 2010.