When thinking of a street performer, people generally consider the sidewalks of a big city like New York, San Francisco or Chicago. However, the Village of Whitehouse is bringing the big city feel to town this August with a day full of street performances.
Busker-what?
The Whitehouse Arts Advisory Board, established by the former Whitehouse mayor Angie Kuhn in 2010, hosts one of the more unique draws, the annual Buskerfest.
A busker is a street performer, someone who performs in a public place for gratuities. The Whitehouse Buskerfest is an opportunity for local performers to share their talents with the community, and possibly earn some tips.
Although the term is generally associated with musicians, Whitehouse has welcomed an assortment of artists in the past, ranging in age from 4 years old and up. Past performances have included fire acts, musicians, magicians, dancers, and even face painters.
Big Changes
Matt Meeker, a WAAB board member and the event chairman, said that Barbara Knisely, community development coordinator for the Village of Whitehouse, is “our best volunteer and most vital person to our ongoing success. Barbara heard about this type of event elsewhere and suggested it during an open meeting in 2013.”
This year’s festival will feature some big changes compared to the previous two years: It’s now an all-day event culminating in a free concert. Also, to handle the growing number of participants, the festival will be held in a larger area, allowing performers to spread out. And to help with conflicting sounds, the event will be acoustic-only.
From 2 to 5pm, audience members will have the opportunity to walk through the Village Park and see buskers performing. Then, in the early evening, Meeker explained, “we are celebrating Buskerfest by bringing in The Grape Smugglers, a great local band, as a reward for the buskers, the volunteers, and the community.”
Looking toward the future
The Buskerfest has been growing steadily over the past few years. “We envision several stages evolving in the future,” Meeker said. However, despite future plans, Meeker stressed the importance of getting the community’s current participation. “Artists need their audience. Attending Buskerfest is an opportunity for the community to take action in supporting local artists.”
2-8pm, Saturday, August 14
Whitehouse Village Park, 6925 Providence St.
Free, but tips for the buskers are appreciated and food vendors will be available.
RSVP on facebook, or visit whitehouseoh.gov
