Organizers with Red Deer’s annual street performers’ festival CentreFest are on the hunt for local talent.
A slate of first-rate local, national and international talent will be strutting their stuff July 30-31 at the event, which takes place on 48th St. at Rotary Recreation Park between 47 and 48 Ave.
Hours are from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The ATCO Gas Kick-Off BBQ will again be held in City Hall Park at noon July 29th.
Once again, CentreFest will host street performers from across the globe, with a compelling street market filled with local comedians, actors, face painters, and visual artists.
Street performers are that rare breed of entertainer in search of the best place or “pitch” to perform their art. Buskers can be masters of a number of artforms from dancers, mimes, artists, clowns, magicians and musicians to puppeteers, snake charmers, jugglers, acrobats, sword swallowers, tumblers and living statues comedians.
As organizers point out, there is no form of entertainment that is so diverse and eclectic than street performing. No two shows are ever the same, which makes street performing a truly unique form of entertainment.
Meanwhile, Central Alberta has some very talented performing artists, and it is important for CentreFest to help showcase the talent that we have, said Randy Butler, festival organizer.
An open invitation is out to all actors, jugglers, contortionists, and any performer with a wild, crazy or just plain different skill or routine.
Interested interactive artists are asked to fill out our vendor application on the CentreFest web site at www.centrefest.ca.
Roving artists are asked to call Randy Butler at 403-340-8696.
Meanwhile, CentreFest is offing a fundraising opportunity for a local organization to undertake.
Each year, a local organization becomes the ‘CentreFest Environmental Team’ and helps maintain the cleanliness of the site by helping festival volunteers keep waste collected and stored in designated areas, and by collecting recycling on site.
This is a big but not unmanageable job, that requires workers to be on site for the entire festival, a perfect job for energetic groups looking to make a difference in the community, organizers say.
The groups will receive an honourarium as well as get all bottles and cans to recycle.
Over the years, different types of groups take this job, including sports teams, dance groups and not-for-profit organizations.
Interested organizations are asked to contact Randy at 403-340-8696, or by email at info@centrefest.ca.
Ultimately, there is plenty to enjoy onsite.
Highlights include the popular Kids World and Rotary Water World, and or the myriad of other amusements available for all ages at CentreFest. Last year, more than 25,000 people dropped by the site.
mweber@reddeerexpress.com
