- Panoply Arts Festival may not be until April, but The Arts Council is getting ready, announcing today new programming and featured performers for the 31st annual event that will take place in Big Spring International Park on April 26 through 28.
This year's performers include the U.S. Army Materiel Command Band as well The David Mayfield Parade, the brother-sister alternative country duo of David and Jessica Mayfield, on the opening night of the festival. On April, 27, the Secret Sisters, a country duo from nearby Greenhill, and Grammy-nominated bluegrass performer Claire Lynch and her band will take the stage.
The David Mayfield Parade, the brother-sister alternative country duo of David and Jessica Mayfield, will perform at Panoply 2013. (Courtesy photo)
Also performing at Panoply 2013 will be the rock and roll band Snake Pit Ninjas from Charlotte, N.C. In conjunction with the band's appearance, Panoply will be exhibiting a collection of guitars owned by guitarist, songwriter, inventor and rock and roll pioneer Les Paul. The Les Paul guitars, owned by Snake Pit Ninja bass player Lex Thomas, includes two guitars used by special guest musicians such as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Merle Haggard, Ritchie Sambora, Charlie Daniels and others who played with Paul during his weekly jam sessions at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City.
The festival will also include five stages where bands, dancers, international artists and Huntsville's own Microwave Dave and the Nukes will perform. Several local performers and bands will make their Panoply debut in 2013. The event also includes three feature competitions: the Official Alabama State Fiddling Competition; The Beat: Choreography Competition; and the Homegrown Talent Competition. Musicians from the 911 Reporters, winners from the 2012 homegrown competition, joined Arts Council officials at the gazebo in Big Spring International Park at today's press conference to announce the festival.
Microwave Dave, performing here on the last night of Panoply 2012, will take the stage again this year among other local and regional performers. (File photo)
“Panoply is already a very unique arts festival where you find a variety of performance stages, a visual arts marketplace, international programming, a homegrown talent contest, fiddling and choreography competitions and entertainment for all ages,” said Arts Council Executive Director Allison Dillon-Jauken.
The festival annually draws about 75,000 visitors, demonstrating "that Panoply is a signature community event for Huntsville, but this year The Arts Council also researched other festivals across the United States to ensure that we are offering the most current, engaging programming for Panoply attendees,” Dillon-Jauken said.
One new feature will be the Panoply Beer & Wine Garden, which will be located adjacent to the Thrasher Fountain on the northwest side of Big Spring Park. The exhibit will celebrate the art of brewing and winemaking as well as feature wine and craft beer tastings by brewers from across the southern United States. The Beer & Wine Garden will be open on Saturday and Sunday of the festival and will include programming on artisanal brewing and winemaking as well as talks on beer, wine and food pairings.
Also new this year will be the ability to buy single day tickets and weekend passes online. Passes will be for sale at Huntsville-area Regions Bank outlets, The Arts Council office in the Von Braun Center and on The Arts Council's website, artshuntsville.org, beginning March 15. Daily admission to Panoply is $5 and weekend Panoply passes are $10 for admission Friday thru Sunday. Children under 10 are admitted free of charge.
“Our goal for Panoply 2013 is to feature all of the time-honored programming that attendees expect each year at the festival while also incorporating new elements to keep Panoply fresh and inviting for decades to come,” Arts Council Board President Gaylen Pugh said.
More information about The Arts Council programs and the 2013 Panoply Arts Festival is available at artshuntsville.org.