The Media Arts Council (M.A.C.) will host its Bastille Day celebration on July 10, 5:30-10:30pm. Media’s Bastille Day event showcases local artists, community leaders, and the history and spirit of Media. Three stages will offer performances and presentations throughout the night, as well as many other arts attractions and hands-on activities. State Street in downtown Media will be closed to traffic to accommodate this family-friendly, arts-filled celebration.
The celebration begins at 5:30 when strolling actors and musicians begin to transform State Street into a place from history. The first featured events will take place at Plum Street Mall including the Fair Trade Anniversary and Awards presentation which will celebrate Media as America’s first Fair Trade town.
Professional actors from the Hedgerow Theater lead the first historical event at 6:15 with a reenactment of the storming of the Bastille prison, the event that marked the beginning of the French Revolution, and has now come to symbolize liberty, democracy, and the struggle against oppression. The audience is encouraged to participate in this exciting march down State Street lead by boisterous French revolutionaries, to overtake the Bastille and fight for freedom.
Throughout the evening, the spotlight will be on the stage at the stage at Olive Street, where there will be performances by the Hedgerow Theater and the historical characters General Lafayette and George Washington. Featured musical performances include The Loose Marbles, a well known jazz band based in New Orleans. The band recently performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival and is known for their youthful energy and captivating street performances. Blues and jazz pianist Daryl Davis also entertains the audience into the night, playing in the tradition of his mentors including Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Pinetop Perkins.
The Orange Street stage features acoustic music including Rob Birch's Ridley Creek Guitar Circle and folk rock singer Dani Mari.
Ongoing attractions include paper historical paper making & silk marbling, tie-dying with the Community Arts Center, paint-your-own-necklace with artist Jolie Shamlian, an Enchanted Halo craft with Tyler Arboretum, face painting with Pink Zebra Face Painters, and stilt walkers, jugglers and balloon artists.
Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of the 2nd Saturday Arts Stroll. Bastille Day event sponsors are La Belle Epoque Wine Bistro and La Colombe Torrefaction. Special appearances will be made by Mayor Robert A. McMahon, and Bastille Day Honorary Chair and President of Riddle Hospital, Gary Perecko.
Bastille Day is a French national holiday with many parallels to the American Independence Day. The Media Arts Council celebrates Bastille Day as an historic event symbolic of the freedom that paved the way for, among other things, artistic expression. The Bastille Day celebration will offer attendees of all ages a unique experience filled with art, music and historical attractions. More than 40 businesses participate, with outdoor dining at many restaurants, along with numerous art displays and musical performances.
The Media Arts Council is a non-profit arts organization working to support local artists and integrate a wide range of arts into the life of the entire community of Media, PA. For more information about Bastille Day and a map of events, please visit www.mediaartscouncil.org.
Bastille Day Schedule of Events: Plum Street Mall:
· 5:30 Meet the dogs of the SPCA
· 6:00 Fair Trade Town Anniversary & Awards
· 6:15 Follow the crowd to Storm the Bastille with the Hedgerow Theater
Orange Street Selene Co-op Stage:
· 6:45 Rob Birch's Ridley Creek Guitar Circle
· 7:30-8:00, 8:30-9:00 Folk Rock Musician Dani Mari
Olive Street La Belle Epoque Stage:
· 6:25-6:45 Performances by Hedgerow Theatre and the Media Theatre
· 7:00 Swing Dance lessons by Ballroom Joe of Tango 411 Studio
· 7:25 Honorary Chair, Gary Perecko, President of Riddle Hospital
· 7:30-8:30 New Orleans Jazz Band The Loose Marbles
· 9:00-10:20 Daryl Davis, Blues/Jazz Pianist
