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Community Directory - Articles |
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| NoHo Scene Debuts Oct. 6 – Revamped & Refocused on NoHo |
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A newly formatted and revamped NoHo festival
will debut Saturday, Oct. 6 in the NoHo Arts
District, produced by the CRA/LA’s East
Valley office and sponsored by CRA/LA and
others from the community. Called “NoHo
Scene,” the one-day event, from 11 a.m. to
10 p.m., refocuses on the NoHo Arts
District. It celebrates the community and
all its offerings and coincides with
National Arts and Humanities month.
“What we’re trying to do this year is
celebrate stakeholder artists, theaters,
galleries, retailers and restaurants to
showcase what NoHo has to offer year-round,”
said CRA/LA staff member Regina Kirschenbaum,
“rather than having an event with outside
vendors that people will come to for one day
and not return until next year.”
“NoHo Scene will help brand the arts
district and emphasize the dramatic changes
that have taken place in the area,” added
Kirschenbaum, who is helping coordinate the
event.
NoHo Scene Now
As part of that effort, NoHo Scene will
include free, double-decker buses touring
the area and stopping along the way at
theaters, galleries, clothing stores,
restaurants and shops. Riders can explore
the offerings at each stop and reboard to
travel on to the next. Participating
retailers and restaurants will offer
specials and discounts to make the day a
valuable shopping and dining experience as
well.
Street closures will be smaller than in
years past. Lankershim Boulevard from
Weddington Street to Magnolia Boulevard will
be closed to traffic for an artist village,
a live “art battle” and art demonstrations
and arts workshops for youngsters 7 to 14
years old. Local food vendors will provide
refreshments. The main stage will feature a
variety of dance and music acts. Shane
Sparks, judge and choreographer of the hit
show, "So You Think You Can Dance?" will
perform and oversee a dance contest at
Millennium Dance Complex. Finals will be
judged at the main stage by festival
attendees. The Carlos Gardel Tango Festival
will offer free tango lessons from the stars
of Broadway’s “Forever Tango.” More
information is at www.nohoartsdistrict.com.
All New, All NoHo
NoHo Scene is a departure from the previous,
NoHo Theater and Arts Festival, for 14 years
sponsored by the Universal City / North
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce with $75,000
in CRA/LA funding. The two-day event,
typically in May, was perceived by CRA/LA as
a way to increase NoHo visibility and
display revitalization effort improvements.
But over the years, the event became more
carnival-like, drawing large crowds who came
for carnival rides, plus food and other
items sold by vendors from outside the
neighborhood. The size
of the event itself began to seem
burdensome, especially since it yielded few
return visitors, parking problems cut off
normal traffic and local businesses suffered
during the festival. The decreasing benefit
for NoHo itself began generating community
complaints.
That’s why, when the chamber opted out of
the event this year, CRA/LA stepped in to
produce, sponsor and work with stakeholders
to re-conceptualize the event. Although it
is filling a void this year, CRA/LA does not
typically produce events and hopes that in
the future a non-profit, arts-related entity
will take on the event as part of its
mission, Kirschenbaum said.
Event coordination is being handled by the
NoHo Communications Group, which is also
arranging for corporate sponsorship. The
company, which owns www.nohoartsdistrict.com
and NoHo Gallery LA, focuses on marketing
and branding projects within the NoHo Arts
District. Site logistics are being handled
by Kevaworks.
“I will consider this festival a success
when a majority of the festival attendees
come back within the next month to enjoy,
play and maybe live in NoHo,” said Nancy
Bianconi, of NoHo Communications Group.
Bianconi added that if not for the CRA/LA,
NoHo would not be able to hold an official
festival this year because no other
community entity was large enough to sponsor
it.
“The CRA/LA took a giant step and the
community really respects that,” she said.
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