Kick off your long Labor Day weekend with a combination street fair/ downtown artwalk/musical concert with fireworks, food and vendors thrown in for good measure! The excitement will happen Friday, Sept. 3, 5-10 pm at 400 Crockett Street at The Lot, the former Sportran bus terminal reimagined as an outdoor festival space. It will be the location of the first-ever Cirque du Lot, a riff on the popular Cirque du Lake street fair, the brainchild of Katy Larsen. Larsen is the owner of The Agora Borealis arts marketplace at 421 Lake Street, and the founder of the Louisiana Fashion Prize.
Larsen and her Lake Street partners have hosted the Cirque on Lake Street since 2014, but this year took the opportunity to make a move a couple of blocks to the north. “What a better way to celebrate new neighbors than to collaborate in downtown with live music, food, vendors and all ages fun. I’m very excited about this year’s Cirque du Lot,” says Larsen. The Cirque is also acting as the September version of the Downtown Development Authority’s Downtown Art Walk.
“Like Katy, we thought this was a great chance to pool our resources for a night of art, music, and food,” says Liz Swaine, Exec. Director of the DDA, which runs the Downtown Artwalk. “The last few weeks have been hard and hot and this seems like a great way to take a breath and just relax for a bit. I’m looking forward to the music and I always love seeing what creative new projects the artists are up to!”
The Cirque will move under the big tent as a free admission event. The musical lineup includes: Haley Brooke 5-6:15pm, The Joanitones Duo 6:30-8pm, and Grammy Award nominee Buddy Flett from 8:15-10 pm. The music will take a brief pause at 8:30pm for a fireworks display.
While at Cirque, be sure to view Jake Dement’s hanging art exhibit and watch art being created live by painter Michael Miller. Wander the art market that will feature artists Naomi Rae Hannis, Terry L. Harris, Debbie Arbs Rickards, Isabelle De Joya Vea, Rachel Turner Fletcher, Marci Gatlin Hicks, Brandon Sooter, Caitlin Rose, Arthur Nerio, Whitney Tates, Hillary Frazier, Yolanda Barnes ART, Adam King, Linda Moss, Michael Miller, Connie Helaire Eaton, Thomas Baird, Betsy Levels, Dawn Ash, Megan Templeton, Mars Allen, Star Williams, Ben’s Body Basics, Taylor Hicks and Maggie Molisee aka Magotpie.
Enjoy food of all sorts, the bar inside The Lot, and iced coffee from Special Reserve Coffee Roasters. PrizeFest will be there to sell you tickets to the Louisiana Film Prize and other ‘prize’ events!
This is a family event, so children are welcome, as are well-behaved pooches on leashes. All on-street parking is free after 5 pm, and though most of the venue is outside, we do ask that you mask up if you unable to maintain social distance.
For more information, go to: www.downtownshreveport.com/artwalk or the Cirque du Lot Facebook event.