Courtesy of the City of Chesterfield
The festival will have a lot of live music, but temporary public art, like Bryce Robinson's "Erector Set" (seen above) is part of the programming, too.
Who says you have to go into the big city to have a good time? The City of Chesterfield is planning quite the festival for August 5 at Central Park and Chesterfield Amphitheater. The ‘Burbs Music & Arts Festival features live bands, DJs, food and drink, and installation art.
Three stages play host to bands including The Weeks, The Schwag, Bruiser Queen, DJ Alexis Tucci Nightchaser, Pat Sajak Assassins, LOOPRAT and more. The event is all ages and kids under 10 are free, but kids under 15 need an adult.
City of Chesterfield communications specialist Lisa Bobrzynski says the city began working on arts programming two years ago. Taste of St. Louis moved to Chesterfield and its success showed that the city could host a regional event.
“We’re expecting a pretty big crowd,” Bobrzynski says. “We’ve had a lot of interest on Facebook.” She’s hoping the festival appeals to teenagers and people in their 20s, drawing from St. Louis, Columbia, Quincy and other areas with college populations.
The art on hand was carefully considered and brings the festival experience up a notch from just being a great concert.
“The artwork had to be interactive,” arts specialist Sukanya Mani says. “How is the audience going to interact with the art? The whole idea was that people are not looking at art just from a viewer’s point of view where you walk in, look at it, form an opinion and walk away. We wanted people to touch it, to feel it, to interact with it.”
For instance, if you want to find out where the stage is, or where to get something to eat or drink, you’ll be interacting with some of the art. The map, by illustrator Jennifer Stolzer, is a piece of practical magic.
In addition to the jury-selected responses to an earlier call for art, the festival specifically invited artists to create works for the festival. Sand artist Dan Belcher is creating a piece specifically for the festival, while Kat Douglas will be yarn-bombing the more than 50 hand-rails inside the amphitheater. Leland Drexler-Russell is installing a piece of sensory and light- based art that changes color as people approach it.
The artists are working collaboratively, Mani explains. They’ll incorporate ideas, elements, and colors from the event poster into their work.
Nine large-scale art installations will fill out the festival landscape.
“Right now, I’m standing on top of a spaceship,” says Jack Martinez, production manager of the Chesterfield Amphitheater.
Courtesy of the City of Chesterfield
Martinez, on a spaceship-in-progress.
The spaceship part of a collaboration with local Burning Man community outpost Gateway Burners. “It’s pretty cool they’ve been able to come out here and share their culture,” says Martinez.
Get a load of the spaceship while you can, because Saturday night it’s going up in flames.
Get tickets online or at the door. They’re $20, $25 for students.
