The Summer Season, or, Summer Arts Had Me a Blast!

It's official. It's begun. As the University and local schools close their academic seasons, summer is upon us. You can tell summer in North Dakota, because it can be 98 degrees (not the Nick Lachey kind) one day, and 48 degrees the following. Even though it's hot, the hum of the air conditioner is unable to drone out the belt of the train whistle passing my window. There is something to be said about having an apartment located 13 feet from railroad tracks. It is close enough to allow the whistle and rumble of the train to rattle your apartment, even if ever so slightly. It's also close enough to see the sly grin of the conductor, knowing full and well how irritating he is - and loving every minute of it.

Grand Forks has unique summer lore about it. People disappear. As weekends roll around, people vanish to "the lake." Now, I may not be a Grand Forks native, but I'm savvy enough to realize that this generalization must, in fact, refer to a multitude of lakes. Could there be just one lake, mystic in it's presence and ability to attract throngs of Forksians away each Friday at 5pm... to lure the unsuspecting locals to this weekend getaway?

Doubtful. Especially since I have no idea where this lake is...

And that is okay. I don't need the lake - I've got my own summer get-a-way, right here in Grand Forks. I always imagine the summers to be the "slow season" for the arts, but then tried to schedule a weekend away to help my parents move, and realized I have about 3 slow days buried in the middle of July, and that’s it... There is something going on every weekend, and it's big stuff.

First, we begin with Crimson Creek. I'll stop with my keyboard banter about the shows our local professional theatre is thrusting upon us - just be warned, I'm very excited.

Then we've got Art Fest - our local, well, arts festival. It's hard to be punny with a title as descriptive. This year, there will be around 160 artists, over 10,000 pieces of art and quality crafts, and tons of food, fun and festivity.

I'll be at Art Fest again this year - I've worked the event since its inception. In fact, it was having Art Fest as a client at my previous company that turned me on to Grand Forks. That being said, I've now metaphorically sold my soul to the Art Fest machine, and will be the one driving a golf cart, on both a walkie-talkie and a cell phone, with a clip board, sun burned and covered with heat wounds of some kind. My photosensitive body will be careening in and out of the greenway with a smile on my face. I'll be loving every minute of it.

It's such a thrill - albeit, there are ups and downs. Let's jump to last year for a moment. It rained. A lot. Tents were lost to the Red... I was freezing, yet hot because of the sunburn covering portions of my body... soaked from head to toe, I had to drive to the ER and get steroid injections because my little sun allergy caused my skin to swell up into this messy batch of itchiness...

Yet, we had our best year ever. Now, that's just good fun, people. This year the entertainment has doubled to both sides of the river, Whitey's is sponsoring an on-deck beer garden near the entertainment, the weather is looking to be fantastic, and, after all, I'll be there. Come on, if that's not incentive, what is. In fact, I'll give a free Art Fest T-Shirt and some collector’s bookmarks to the first five people who tell me they came because of the blog.

~cricket chirp~

Yeah, well, I won’t hold my breath.

If the Art Fest just doesn't feel like your thing, and you're looking for more flavor, downtown is still the place to be. Northland Tech's Thought Club and Creative Arts Club are sponsoring The Town Square Sound Fair on the 3rd of June from 1 to 5 pm.

Several local bands and talent will be playing many differnt styles of music all day/night long. Admission is FREE. 1 to 5 PM: Jazz to Bluegrass (John Behling Group, June Panic, Clint Wilhelmi & The Flat Lands String Band); 5 to 6 PM: Northland College Talent In the Evening; 6 to 10 PM: Rock to HipHop (KSA, 8Plex, Up North, Greenhand)... This is exactly the type of event Town Square was designed for, and frankly I can't wait for the 3rd of June... how cool to be able to experience local bands in one place! Congratulations to Northland, and a special kudos for their addition of the event to http://www.culturepulse.org so that we could find out about it. Check out the event here.

Here we end today's journey, today's banter, today's rant. As I sit in my new downtown apartment, in what used to be the house of the Metropolitan Opera House, I am nostalgically reminded of the vast history of arts and culture this little corner of the world has. I am a bit humbled by my assumptions that there isn't enough arts and culture here. I am a bit overcome with the shadows of the past, and the excitement of the future.

And this time, when the train goes by, whistle-a-blarin', I don't mind so much.

In fact, I kinda like it.

Ben :: Team CulturePulse