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YS Kids Playhouse

The Yellow Springs Experience

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Summer is amazing, all of a sudden there is just so much to do. And I want to do it all! (Well not really, all. Would you believe 1/2?) But here comes another great summer weekend that I have been looking forward to for months! I want to play at the Cirque, pop my gob of gum onto the Traveling Gum Wall, dance with my sweetie under the stars, and, and, well you get the idea.

The Yellow Springs Experience is this weekend, July 15th-17th. There are special events for kids, events for families and lots of fun activities you can enjoy by yourself or with a friend. It starts on Friday night with The Dayton Street Cirque Carnival, the best street party ever.

The Cirque Carnival will be at the convergence of Dayton & Corry Streets from 6-10 pm.

Soul Fire Tribe, fire dancing at the Cirque.

On the Main Stage

• 6-7pm Sportfishing USA

• 7pm Egyptian Breeze

• 7:30-8:45pm YSKP Cotton Club Review

• 8:45pm Yoga Springs Studio

• 9-10pm The Undercovered

At the Acoustic Stage

• 6-6:30pm Coat Hanger Halos

• 6:30 Brendan Sheehan Solo Act

• 7-8pm Acoustic Reveille

• 8-8:30 John and Maria Booth (Spoken Word)

• 8:30-9:30pm Johnny, Stills, Stash, and Youngin

In the Ring of Amazement

• 6:30-7pm- the Jill Becker Group with Dance Improv
.

• 7-7:30pm -The Daredevil Circus Act 1 (aerial performance)

• 7:30 pm-Juggling .

• 8-8:30pm – Laylia – Tribal Belly Dance

• 8:30pm- Flash Mob Dancers

• 9-9:30pm -The Daredevil Circus Act 2

• 10pm Soul Fire Tribe

And there’s a Kids Parade (at 6:30pm, all kids invited!)- The Traveling Gum Wall, (a perfectly disgusting, interactive, public-art experience) –Artisan Booths –Massage and Tarot Readings, you can get Feathers Extensions for your hair and Spray On Tatoos and of course Food! Come in costume if you want. There will be lots of great people watching.

Whew, that’s just the beginning of this wacky weekend!

On Saturday, there are 4 great workshops! You can learn how to make “Sterling Silver Rings” (you make 3 rings to take home.) Or during “Japanese Paper Lanterns” a 2 day workshop, on Saturday you create your own handmade paper, then on Sunday you get to make the Lanterns. Saturday afternoon you can find out about “Ayurvedic Healing” or have a blast learning to “Belly Dance”. Registration is required for the workshops. To register- get artists’ contact info at yellow-springs-experience.org

Also on Saturday, from 3-6 p.m. at the Village Artisans, artist and children’s book author Kathy Moulton will be holding a book signing, talk and reception for the original art from her 4 new books. Kathy’s popular art is made up of a wonderful world of gentle humor. Ask her about her adventures in self-publishing and making art on her computer. Any child that comes to visit will receive free coloring pages (samples from her new books.)

Have a “Quick Sketch” done be Artist Clarice Moore. She’ll be set up at the Art Park, 100 Corry Street, all day Saturday. Or pop into EdenWorld and have a Wellness or Spa Session or have your tarot cards read..

If you love to hike in the woods, Saturday morning includes a docent-led “Birding Hike” through Glen Helen, Yellow Springs much beloved 1000 acre woods.

In the evening it’s mucho Music, mucho Dancing Events and Theater with the YS Kids Playhouse performing “The Cotton Club.”

(I covered that part in my last blog entry. There is so much going on during an Experience weekend that it’s too much for one post! If you would like to read about the Saturday night music and dance events read “Gotta Dance? Do It in Yellow Springs.”

O.K. on to Sunday. Come back and take a peaceful docent led “Wildflower Hike” in the afternoon. Or give yourself a treat and relax with an Edenworld massage. From 2-3 in the afternoon, at the Glen building you can hear a talk about the “Myths and Truths About Coyotes” and Sunday night, you can take in a performance of the Cotton Club.”

Well that’s the scoop, for details go to yellow-springs-experience.com

See you in the Springs!

Yellow Springs Street Fair is Coming!

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Street Fair is Coming!

Plans for summer events are really brewing around Yellow Springs.  The Chamber is full of signs ready to go out and huge maps of booth positions.  Artists are dropping in with questions.  You can feel the energy in the air.  Street Fair is coming June 11th 9 a.m.-5 p.m.! Everywhere I turn, artists are working feverishly to get a booth full of pottery, sculpture, paintings, hand-crafted clothes, bags or unique jewelry ready for you.

One of my favorites is Jennifer Float’s booth with her colorful and whimsical paintings.  Jenny is a happy painter.  She has a very high “Awww” factor.  Everyone smiles when they see her work.   For the last 2 months, every time I see Jenny shop sitting at Village Artisans (an artist co-op in Yellow Springs) she has half-done canvases stacked on every surface and a brush in hand.  Jenny doesn’t do much sitting when she shop-sits.

So, you probably know about Street Fair, but do you know about some of the other cool events being planned for this summer?  On June 17th, the Friday after Street Fair, is Yellow Springs’ Art Stroll from 6-9 p.m.  One of my favorite shows is happening that night.  Every 2 years is the Miniature Show at “would you could you In A Frame,” at 113 Corry Street. This year, fifty-two artists have created over 100 pieces of fabulous, tiny art. Included are 3-D works, paintings, embroideries, encaustics and more, all no larger than 3 inches x 2 inches.

Art by Lance Rudegeair

The new gallery in town is Springs Gallery in King’s Yard, 220 Xenia Avenue. It will have its Grand Opening celebration during Art Stroll.  I’ve already had a peek inside and  loved the art.  Many of their artists will be present at the opening.

The Yellow Springs Arts Council Gallery, 309 Xenia Ave. is having a great reception that will include art, live music and belly dancing.

Also on Art Stroll night, the Art’s Council in partnership with the Jafagirls is going to have a truly disgusting, Interactive Public Art Project at the Art Park at 100 Corry Street. The world’s first Traveling Gum Wall will be there. This summer and fall the Traveling Gum Wall is going to be popping up all over town, serving as a fundraiser for the Arts Council.  Gum is sold for a buck a piece.  You buy the gum, chew, chew some more, squish it onto the Gum Wall, and then sign the back.

Whoops, almost forgot, the Gum Wall will be at Street Fair too at the Arts Council’s Oasis,  309 Xenia Ave.

Much more is going on during Art Stroll, Art Sale at Village Artisans, live music, beer making demo, wine tasting, Free Art Friday,….

Maybe I better explain Free Art Friday.  It’s a movement around the world to leave art on the streets for anyone to find and take home. It’s been a while since the Jafagirls of Yellow Springs have done a Free Art Friday. But the word is out, Friday the 17th there will be art for the finding.  (Check the trees!)

Quick run down of other offerings for the summer:  Twice a month, 1st and 3rd Saturdays, will be “Dance Piazza” with DJ Juju at the Art Park, 100 Corry Street.

From 7-8 p.m. there are dance instructors to show steps to anyone who wants to join in.  From 8-10 p.m. It’s an international Dance Party with DJ Juju.

Here is a list of the styles of Dance taught for the first hour of each Dance Piazza. The last  two hours dance any which way you please!

  • JUNE 18 – International Folk Dances with Miami Valley Folk Dancers
  • JULY 2 – Bhangra (Punjabi Folk Dance) with Karanvir Singh
  • JULY 16 – Swing Dance with Jill Christie of the Dayton Ballroom Dance Club
  • AUGUST 6 – Mexican Folk Dance with Nuestro Orgullo youth dance troupe
  • AUGUST 20 – Flamenco Dance & Guitar with Mariya Tarakanova & Brent Del Bianco of Flamencotalk
  • SEPTEMBER 3 – West African Drum & Dance with BabaaRitah Clark
  • SEPTEMBER 17 – Appalachian Clogging & Old Time Music with Rick Good (formerly of Rhythm in Shoes) & Friends

July brings : The Cotton Club” a YS Kids Playhouse jazz musical and  the “Yellow Springs Experience.” July 15th –17th three days and nights filled with the “Cirque Carnival,” Live music and Dance, Wellness and Spa Sessions, Nature Hikes and Art Workshops.  Woo hoo!  Tell you more about that later.

See you in the Springs!