Don't Miss an Action-Packed FestForAll Weekend, May 5 - May 6, 2012!

Baton Rouge - The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge will present FestForAll - Baton Rouge's premier art & music festival, May 5 - May 6, 2012!   Join us for a full weekend of art and entertainment along North Boulevard in downtown's new Town Square and on the grounds of the Old State Capitol and the Shaw Center for the Arts.  The hours on Saturday, May 5 are 10 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday, May 6 are 12 noon - 6:00 p.m.  FestForAll is free and open to everyone.

 
FestForAll 2012 will include:

Great music!     
FestForAll 2012 Music Schedule
Town Square 

Saturday, May 5,2012

Galvez Plaza Stage
11:00 - 12:00     BR Music Studios- Young Band Nation Blues Project 
12:30 - 1:45       Ann Savoy & the Magnolia Sisters (Cajun)
2:15 - 3:30         Eric Lindell (Roots/Rock)
4:00 - 5:15         Katie Armiger (Country)
5:45 - 7:00         Chris Thomas King (Blues)

Town Lawn Stage
12:00 - 12:30    The Brad Walker Quartet (Jazz)
1:45 –  2:15       Quiana Lynell and the Lush Life (Jazz/Soul)
3:30 –  4:00       Ben Bell and the Stardust Boys (Rockabilly/Americana)
5:15 –  5:45       N’Fungola Sibo Dance & Drum Co. (African Dance)
                                       
Sunday, May 6,2012

Galvez Plaza Stage
12:00 -2:00       Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys (Zydeco)  
                          (A Sunday in the Park Performance)
2:30 - 4:00        Michael Foster Project (Brass)
4:30 - 6:00        Big Sam's Funky Nation (Funk)

Town Lawn Stage
2 :00 – 2:30      Betsy Braud & Company (Jazz)
4:00 – 4:30       Patrice Fisher & the Garifuna Connection (Latin/World)

Glavez Plaza stage line-up includes:    
Baton Rouge Music Studios - The Young Band Nation Blues Project
The Young Band Nation Blues Project is a band comprised of 11 students of Baton Rouge Music Studios, a local school of contemporary music. The project's mission started out as a plan by director, Doug Gay, to bring young musicians closer to their rock n roll roots, which is the blues. The mission has since expanded to help young musicians become aware of the great music Louisiana artists present to the world. The musicians are learning songs from many Louisiana artists including Tab Benoit, Anders Osborne, The Funky Meters, Chubby Carrier, Waylon Thibodeaux, Johnny Sansone and many more. The Blues Project has already secured performance spots at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Festival Internationale de Louisiane, The Baton Rouge Blues Festival, FestForAll, and the Rock of Ages Youth Music Festival. The Young Band will perform on Saturday, May 5th from 11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon. 
  
Ann Savoy and the Magnolia Sisters (Cajun Accordion - Guitar - Fiddle - Vocals)
Ann Allen Savoy is a musician, photographer, record producer, and writer. Her destiny was sealed when she began to listen to rare collections of Cajun 78's. She met her future husband, acclaimed accordion builder/musician
  
Marc Savoy, and after their marriage she began documenting the Cajun culture, taking photographs, interviewing important musicians, and transcribing the Cajun French songs. Her documentation ultimately became a book, Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People Volume 1, which won the prestigious Botkin book award from the American Folklore Society. As an avid photographer since high school, her photos have been exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and at the Festival of American Music in Eugene, Oregon.
  
Ann, a musician since the age of ten, began touring extensively with her husband and Michael Doucet as the Savoy Doucet Cajun Band, appearing in venues such as the Berlin Jazz Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States. She and her friend Jane Vidrine also formed the Magnolia Sisters, an all woman band. She also has a band with her husband and two sons, the Savoy Family Cajun Band. She has recorded fifteen CDs on the Arhoolie, Rounder, Vanguard, and Memphis International labels.
  
Approached by Vanguard executive Steve Buckingham, Ann produced two tributes to Cajun and Creole music, the concept of these CDs being pop stars performing with traditional musicians. The first of these, Evangeline Made, was nominated for a Grammy. Shortly thereafter she was approached by T Bone Burnett to appear in the film "The Divine secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" and in the film appears as a musician in the 1940's. Her songs from this film are on the Sony soundtrack of the movie.
  
Her friend, Linda Ronstadt, asked her to record a record of duets with her, and this CD, "Adieu False Heart," was also nominated for a Grammy.
  
Today Ann lives in Eunice, Louisiana and continues to travel with her bands, record, write books, and appear in films. Ann Savoy and the Magnolia Sisters will perform Saturday, May 5th from 12:30 - 1:45 PM at FestForAll. 
  
    
Eric Lindell (Roots Rock)
Born in 1969 in San Mateo, California, blues guitarist Eric Lindell spent much of his youth in nearby Santa Rosa and Forestville. Although he worked as a baker by day, Lindell turned his focus to music in the evenings, honing his chops as a competent vocalist and guitarist by playing in bars around Sonoma County. He produced his debut album, Bring It Back, in 1996, and in 1999 he won the John Lennon Songwriting Competition with his original piece "Kelly Ann." That same year, Lindell decided to move to New Orleans to pursue music in a different location. The move was a beneficial one, as Lindell soon hooked up with Galactic's Stanton Moore and began playing shows around town, frequently enlisting drummers Johnny Vidocovich and Harold Brown (from War) to sit in.
  
The 2007 release of Low On Cash, Rich In Love pushed Lindell farther into the spotlight. The single "Lay Back Down" spent 10 weeks on R&R's AAA Indicator Chart and 11 weeks on FMQB's Top 50 AAA Tracks. Appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, his return to Mountain Stage and reviews in USA Today, Relix, Down Beat, Harp, Living Blues, Blues Revue and many other national and regional publications solidified Lindell's stature as an artist who simply could not be ignored. The Chicago Sun Times calls Lindell "a tremendous talent with a poet's soul...Lindell writes from the heart with a fully realized musical vision."
  
Lindell's live shows draw as much attention as his material. Fun, funky, high-energy and set-list free shows keep fans clamoring for more and coming back again and again. His unstoppable grooves, rocking, deeply rooted, original songs and excellent musicianship never fail to fill the dance floor. Guitar Player says, "Impressive, super slinky classic blues and rock with a taste of country twang. Lindell is bound to win over roots music fans for years to come." The Philadelphia Inquirer simply called his music, "timeless blue-eyed soul." The Boston Herald calls him "a ferocious talent." With the release of Gulf Coast Highway, and a full slate of tour dates around the country, Eric Lindell's talent and soul will shine brightly from the Gulf Coast to stages all over the world. You don't want to miss Eric Lindell's performance at FestForAll on Saturday, May 5th from 2:15 - 3:30 PM. 
  
Katie Armiger (Country)
Katie Armiger's powerful vocals and skillful songwriting are clearly showcased in an inspiring combination of determination and passion that shines through in her music.

Rarely do you hear of a young artist whose vocal ability and talent is compared to the likes of seasoned country artists like Sara Evans and Martina McBride, but Katie Armiger, who burst onto the country music scene, does just that.

Confident, secure, bold, assertive, vulnerable and in-your-face could all describe the songs on the new album, Confessions of a Nice Girl, as well as the artist who sings them. Katie Armiger, who released her first album when she was just 15 years old, has amassed a collection of songs on her third album that touches upon just about every emotion imaginable. Her previous single, "Kiss Me Now," the flirtatious ode to a new love she co-wrote with Sarah Buxton and Blair Daly, was her second to hit the Top 40 on the Billboard Indicator Chart, while "Trail of Lies" landed in the Top 20 on Music Row, setting a record as the Highest Charting Independent Female Artist in 2009. Katie also earned the title of the Highest Charting Independent Female Artist of 2008 in Radio & Records Magazine with "Unseen," and the young lady with the enviable voice set yet another record for the highest debut for a solo independent artist since 2003 on the Music Row chart with her debut single, "17 in Abilene," in 2007. Katie's song "Best Song Ever" is also featured on Wii Country Dance 2 Video Game, which sold out nationwide.

The dream of making it on Music Row seemed fated for the Texas native with the soaring voice and radiant personality. Her enthusiasm for the new music is immediately evident, almost contagious.  She wrote or co-wrote nine of the 13 songs on her current album, sharing talents and ideas with some of Nashville's most innovative tune-smiths, such as Sarah Buxton and Blair Daly ("Kiss Me Now," "Leaving Home," "Scream"), Rebecca Lynn Howard ("That's Why") and Joe West ("Can't Keep Myself From Loving You"). The album's title, Confessions of a Nice Girl, was chosen by her fans in a contest held by television network Great American Country (GAC). The album also had two Multi-Week #1 Videos on the GAC Top 20 Country Countdown.  Katie Armiger has just scratched the surface of what she is capable of. She is a passionate and driven performer well beyond her years.  See her performance at FestForAll on Saturday, May 5th from 4:00 - 5 :15 PM.  
  

  
Chris Thomas King (Blues)
King was born on October 14, 1964, in Baton Rouge. His father, Tabby Thomas, is a locally prominent bluesman who owned a club called Tabby's Blues Box, which opened in 1979 and closed in 2004 following Tabby's retirement. As a result, King, started early toward his musical future performing with the late Silas Hogan, Guitar Kelly and Clarence Edwards, three masters of swamp blues. As he matured in the musical setting of New Orleans area blues culture, King was encouraged to experiment and develop his own style. Because each blues musician had a unique playing and singing style, he was discouraged from singing others' songs or even playing the way they did. He told Lisa Simeone on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, "They would never sit me down and say, 'Well, this is how it goes.' They ... told me don't sing their songs ... 'Find your own song and sing that.'"
  
Around 1980, while King was still in his teens, he toured in Europe with a group of Louisiana artists. After returning to the United States he produced a demo recording playing all the instruments himself, which led to a deal with Arhoolie Records. King's debut album, The Beginning, appeared in 1986 and featured King on vocals, bass, and guitar. Arhoolie reissued the album in 2001 under the title It's a Cold Ass World.
King signed a major recording contract with Warner Brothers Records in 1989 and headlined a national tour to support the release of his greatly anticipated follow-up "Cry of the Prophets," making his national television debut on the David Letterman Show.
  
Like Miles Davis and Bob Dylan before him, Chris Thomas King was originally celebrated as the young savior of an aging musical culture when he first arrived on the national scene. He moved to Denmark where he recorded and released the critically acclaimed hip-hop blues album 21st Century Blues from da hood. Upon returning to the United States in 1995, he started his own independent production company and record label, 21st Century Blues. Soon after he found success as a film composer and actor. Winning three Grammy Awards by 2003 and several Country music CMA awards.
  
King's major acting debut in the Coen brothers' film "O Brother, Where Art Thou" in 2001 transcended blues and gained him an international mainstream audience. Of the songs on the movie's Grammy-winning soundtrack, King's "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" was one of the only few recorded live during filming. The soundtrack reached number 1 on the billboard charts and has since sold ten million copies. King's performance and the on screen field recording by legendary producer T-Bone Burnett is perhaps the most famous blues performance of all time.
  
In 2004 King co-starred in the Oscar winning movie "Ray" about the life and times of the legendary Ray Charles with whom King recorded the score for the soundtracks which went on to win several Grammys and an Oscar.
  
In 2006 following Katrina, which destroyed King's New Orleans home, he wrote and recorded his most personal album to date, simply but eloquently titled "Rise." The album's themes flow between hope and tragedy perhaps best captured in "Baptized in dirty water," a slow driving 12 bar blues which featured a soaring electric guitar performance. It was nominated for a Handy Award for song of the year.
  
Chris Thomas King's new album Antebellum Postcards is the masterful musical statement his fans always knew the multi-talented musician and actor was capable of. It's obvious after one listen King's at the height of his powers as a guitarist, singer-songwriter and studio wizard. The new recordings are heavily influenced by Nashville.
  
Chris Thomas King has developed a singular sound and style that transcends his blues roots from his years of performing before loyal fans at packed clubs, major festivals, theaters and juke joints. King performed more than 88 sold-out concerts with the "Down from the Mountain" tour performing alongside Alison Krauss and Union Station, Emmy Lou Harris, Ralph Stanley and others. 
  
As an actor King has a role in the HBO series Treme and he continues to compose music for Hollywood films.  Don't miss Chris Thomas King's performance at FestForAll Saturday, May 5 from 5:45 - 7:00 PM. 
  
Special Sunday in the Park performance at FestForAll!
Presented by the Arts Council and 225 Magazine 
Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys (Zydeco) 
Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys features the accordion mastery and soulful vocals of front man Jeffery Broussard, from the legendary band, Zydeco Force. Early Creole music, as played by legends Canray Fontenot on fiddle and Jeffery's father, accordion player Delton Broussard, is experiencing a well-deserved resurgence of interest in Louisiana today. Echoing the Creole past & charting Zydeco's future, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys deliver great, pack-the-floor renditions of Creole classics as well as their own brand of contemporary Zydeco. It's the next generation's perspective of zydeco music presented with contemporary flair and expertise. The band creates incredible music and outstanding performances, cultivating and inspiring new audiences of Creole zydeco fans.   
  
Jeffery Broussard was named "Accordionist of the Year" by the Zydeco Music & Creole Heritage Awards 2007 and received a Louisiana Division of the Arts grant that same year. "Mr. Broussard and his Cowboys are fabulous. You start moving in your seat as soon as their rhythmic, rich melodies, both joyous and mournful, flood the theater."- Claudia La Rocco, New York Times Dance Critic. This performance is part of the Arts Council's Sunday in the Park line-up with a special presentation at FestForAll from 12:00 - 2:00 PM on Sunday, May 6.       
  

  
The Michael Foster Project (Funk/Soul/R&B)
This Baton Rouge based soulful group brings funk and R&B music to another level. The Michael Foster Project is a collection of talented funk masters and is gauranteed to make you get up!
  
The leader of this multi-genre group, Michael Foster attended Southern University where he was a member of the "Human Jukebox" (S.U. Marching Band). Foster's band-mates, many of them also music teachers and band directors, got together at Southern. "We met at the department of music," Foster says, "and in the Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity." Foster says he was introduced to the funky grooves of brass jazz by his old roommate at Southern, Julius McKee. "We were both sousaphone players," Foster says, "He was from New Orleans, and he introduced me to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. We used to sit in our room listening to those tapes until they wore out." The listening sessions paid off. The Michael Foster Project's debut release, "Kick Some Brass" was voted "Best New Brass Band or Performer," after the release by OFFBEAT Magazine's "Best of the Beat" awards. In addition, one of the tracks recorded ("Chicken Grease") was included on WWOZ's "Sounds of New Orleans" compilation CD 13, in the Spring of 2000.  
  
Michael Foster's work with his group has earned him recognition by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, as their Arts Ambassador. He has gone into school systems around the south talking to young students about the importance and traditions of jazz music, as well as inspiring them to practice and keep the music alive. Over time the Michael Foster Project has had a plethora of talent to perform with, as members of the group. The Michael Foster Project cuurent line-up consists of Rod Jackson (alto sax), Steve Lands (trumpet), Chancelier 'Xero' Skidmore (auxiliary percussion), Terrance Taplin (trombone), John Gray (trumpet), Chris Lee (drums) David Harris (trombone) and Michael Foster (bass and tuba). The Michael Foster Project has also joined the Continuum Music family. Discography includes: "Kick Some Brass" - Rampart Records "Weapons of Brass Destruction" - Continuum Music/Big Bell Music. Always a great time they're another FestForAll 2012 band, you don't want to miss on Sunday May, 6 from 2:30 - 4:00 PM!
  
     
Big Sam's Funky Nation (Funk)
Big Sam's Funky Nation is a driving force of urban funk. Ryan White, of the Oregonian, says the band is "tight enough (and hot enough) to turn coal into a diamond!" The band is led by trombone powerhouse, Big Sam Williams, formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, who the San Francisco Chronicle calls "the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz." Big Sam refuses to let the audience sit still. Between the band's solos, Big Sam's signature dance moves and his distinctive trombone riffs, the energy level is high voltage when this band takes the stage!
  
The Funky Nation is a stellar group of world-class musicians who meet the challenges of their funky band leader. The band is comprised of Andrew Baham on Trumpet/Vocals/Keys, Andrew Block on Guitar, Chocolate MILK on Drums, and Eric Vogel on Bass in addition to Big Sam on Trombone/Vocals. BSFN's signature Noladelic Powerfunk sound masterfully combines a rock sensibility with improv-style associated with jazz and the horn-heavy front section that's the hallmark of big band funk.
  
Big Sam began playing with the Dirty Dozen at the tender age of 19 before striking out on his own and creating the Funky Nation. Big Sam powered-up the horn section on the critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated, "River in Reverse" and is prominently featured in "Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade" the concert tour DVD. While touring with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, in the Fall of 2006 and Summer of 2007, he earned consistent reviews as a musical force and star soloist. Big Sam has played with Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Dave Matthews, Ozomatli, and Widespread Panic. He has also shared the stage with U2 and Green Day for the emotional and energetic re-opening of the Superdome which was broadcast live on Monday Night Football.
  
Big Sam's Funky Nation is a festival favorite across North America and their contagious tunes and memorable live performances have attracted fans far and wide, ranging from France, to the United Kingdom, to Greece, to Brazil, to Canada. BSFN is a favorite on the festival circuit and has sealed its mark on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Gathering of the Vibes, Telluride Blues & Brews, Doheny Blues Festival, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival, Wakarusa, Voodoo Music Experience, Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival, LEAF & many more. Get funky with Big Sam at FestForAll on Sunay, May 6 from 4:30 - 6:00PM!  
  
  
Great shopping with 100 visual artists from over a dozen states!  Shop for pottery, woodwork, stained glass, jewelry, and much more from award winning artists!
 

The more you shop the better your chances of winning FestForAll prizes!  Each time you spend $30 with a visual artist, enter to win prizes by bringing your receipts to the Visitor Information Booth.  Prizes courtesy of Country Roads Magazine and the Arts Council.    

 FestForAll Shopping Prizes Include:

• A Two-Night Stay at Auld Sweet Olive Bed & Breakfast, a live-in work of art in New Orleans' hip, historic Faubourg Marigny.  A $200 value.  
• Gift Certificates to dine at Bistro Byronz, serving great French flavors with a hint of Louisiana spice. 5412 Government Street, Baton Rouge. A $100 value.  
• Gift Certificates to dine at Tsunami, an upscale sushi and grill with among the best views in Louisiana. Edible art atop the Shaw Center for the Arts. 100 Lafayette Street, Baton Rouge. A $100 value.

The Arts Council is delighted to announce that Mr. Rick Pérez is the the Distinguished Judge for the visual arts at FestForAll 2012. Mr. Pérez is Assistant Director at the Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles, California. The gallery specializes in vintage and contemporary photography and photo-related artwork. He has served as a juror reviewing artist portfolios for numerous competitions including Critical Mass and Photo Americas in Portland, Oregon; Photo NOLA in New Orleans, Louisiana, and IRevelar at the Naomi Silva Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Pérez has served as a panelist and presenter for UCLA and Gallery 825 in Los Angeles. As an art dealer, he has participated in prestigious art fairs including AIPAD in New York and Photo L.A. in Los Angeles. He has served as Associate Director at the Carmen Llewellyn Gallery, New Orleans specializing in multi-media Latin American art and Gallery Administrator for Wessel + O'Connor Fine Art in New York, NY. Since returning to his hometown of Los Angeles in 2003, RicK Pérez has worked as Gallery Director at the George Billis Gallery before joining the Stephen Cohen Gallery in 2005. Mr. Pérez will award prizes for Best of Show, Award of Excellence, Awards of Distinction and Awards of Merit to visual artists at FestForAll.  

FestForAll Children's Village
Go around the world at FestForAll! The FestForAll's Children's Village is coordinated by the Junior League of Baton Rouge and will feature hands-on art activities highlighting the cultures of Mexico, China and the United States of America. Get your FestForAll passport stamped while enjoying musicians, puppeteers, storytellers, jugglers, magicians, stilt walkers, and watch fun and entertaining stage performances on the Children's Village Stage.  FestForAll's Children's Village will take place on the grounds of Louisiana's Old State Capitol.  

"The Junior League is proud to partner with the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge to present FestForAll's Children's Village.  We are excited about this year's event which will feature an 'Around the World with Junior League' theme with many exciting activities and entertainers." Anita Bankston President, The Junior League of Baton Rouge, Inc.
    
2012 Children's Village Stage Performers

Saturday, May 5

10:00 a.m.           School Readiness Through The Arts Classes from B.R. Center for  
                           Visual & Performing Arts and Dufrocq Elementary               
11:30 a.m.           Dorothy & Her Shaky Egg Band
1:00 p.m.             Baton Rouge Zoo Animal Encounters 
1:30 p.m.             David Vincent's Martial Arts & Fitness   
3:00 p.m.             Baton Rouge Music Studios           

Sunday, May 6

12:00 p.m.           Dorothy & Her Shaky Egg Band
1:00 p.m.             Baton Rouge Zoo Animal Encounters                       
2:00 p.m.             Youth Percussion Group
3:30 p.m.             Betsy Braud & Company 
4:00 p.m.             Baton Rouge Music Studios  

FestForAll 2012 Children's Village Art Activity Stations

• Baton Rouge Zoo - Animal Encounters
• Face Painting- Liz Lopes
• Face Painting - Natalie Romero
• Junior League - Chinese Lanterns
• Junior League - Mexican Maracas
• Volunteers of America/Junior League - Keeping Kids Safe
• Kidcam Summer Camps - Lego Booth  
• Cartoon Caricatures - Keith Douglas
• Baton Rouge Music Studios - Music Lessons
• Art Lessons - Terry Farrell  

PLUS: Enjoy Balloon Twisters, Carnival Games, & Water Wars.  
Dog and Cat Adoptions thanks to Friends of the Animals & Project Purr.

Town Lawn Vignette Performances!

N'Fungola Sibo Dance & Drum Company
N'Fungola Sibo celebrates African culture through traditional West African dance & drum performances. These talented performing artists promote positive energy, character and ethnicity, using African song, drum, dance, and folklore.      

Quiana Lynell and the Lush Life (Jazz/Soul) 
Quiana Lynell, certified southern girl, infuses her classical training and gospel upbringing with her love for jazz. Embracing her four octave range, she is able to perform a limitless repertoire. Her style, Jazz, Classical, Soul and Funk, or as she has coined "Jazzicalsfunk," has been described as nothing you have ever heard. Her voice is often compared to flute like tones when she solo's over changes, embellished with operatic melismas and long tones. Sharing the stage with The Lush Life, a band comprised of standout performers in Jazz, Brass, and Funk.     
   
Betsy Braud (Jazz) 
A native of Thibodaux, Louisiana, Betsy has graced the Louisiana Jazz scene for over two decades. Betsy holds a degree in music from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. Betsy is a protégé of the legendary jazz educator Alvin Batiste of the Southern University Jazz Institute. Mr. Batiste described Betsy as "one of the bright new stars on the south Louisiana music scene today" and added, "her original compositions and arrangements reflect inner-expression, real beauty, and uniqueness."

Whether performing in classrooms, nightclubs, festivals, support groups, or private parties, Betsy invites the audience to participate in her music. She has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Festival Internationale and Betsy's Jazz Nurse Prescription was invited to perform at the National Performance Network Artist Retreat. Betsy recently performed in Ingolstadt, Germany. Her CD of original compositions, "Do You Want to Be Healed?", received rave reviews. Dean Shapiro of Offbeat Magazine wrote, "Betsy doesn't merely excel on flute, she owns it! And her piano playing is first rate as well".    

Ben Bell & the Stardust Boys (Rockabilly/ Americana)
Ben Bell & The Stardust Boys have a distinct, individual sound rooted in rockabilly and Americana. They will perform classics by Elvis and Johnny Cash, as well as original music steeped in the same southern tradition.  

New This Year!!!

Cup-cake Clay - Art Demos
Visitors to the festival will see art in action with demos in wheel throwing and hand-building techniques.  Watch how all pottery begins as raw malleable earthen clay and with the right touch and technique is transformed into functional or sculptural objects for use or display.  

Elise Duran - Hula Hoop Circus Performances
Don't miss these performances by aerialist, circus performer and hula hoop spinner Elise Duran. She has worked as a flying trapeze trainer and performer at Wyndham Resorts in the Bahamas and performed aerial acts with Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus and Loomis Brothers Circus. Performances will take place Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Burt Fleming - Chainsaw Wood Sculpture
Festival attendees will enjoy Burt's quick wit and personable style as he takes a blank log and turns it into a work of art. Owls, eagles, bears, alligators - Burt can find all these and more inside logs and pieces of wood and all in an hour or less while you watch.  Much like Michelangelo freed his subjects from marble, Burt frees woodland creatures from tree logs.   

Community School for the Arts Instructor, Anita LeJeune - Live Painting
Pick up a paintbrush and be inspired to join in the fun. Community School instructor Anita LeJune will guide festival goers in creating a one-of-a-kind work of art at FestForAll. Be sure to stop by and make your mark!  

Velo des Artes Bicycle Ride   
Take a tour of public art in downtown Baton Rouge and surrounding neighborhoods Sunday, May 6, from 9:30 a.m. to Noon. The Velo des Artes Bicycle ride is coordinated by Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets (BRASS). It's a short and easy ride. The Velo des Artes Bicycle Ride starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Louisiana State Museum, 4th St. at Spanish Town Rd.  Also learn about bike safety and etiquette from the Capital Region Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Campaign. Conveniently park your bicycle at the BRASS bike corral throughout FestForAll weekend. www.brsafestreets.org

Film Screening at the Manship Theatre
As part of FestForAll activities, the Manship Theatre will be hosting a screening of Man in the Glass: the Dale Brown Story at 1pm on Saturday, May 5th. It will be a "Free Sneak Preview." The Manship bar will be open with drinks, snacks and popcorn served. www.manshiptheatre.org

Born on Halloween, 1935, Dale Brown's fight for justice began the day his father walked out - two days before he was born.   With a cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, John Wooden, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Brando, Dick Vitale, Dick Gregory and Don Yaeger, Man in the Glass:  The Dale Brown Story is the "fast-paced"* "must-own"** documentary film about how an overachiever from tiny Minot, North Dakota relentlessly fought, scratched and clawed his way to the top.  Hired by Louisiana State University in 1972 as head men's basketball coach, Dale's on-the-court success would quickly become overshadowed by his efforts off of the court.  His de-segregation of the basketball program would ultimately lead to the complete integration of the school; his battles with the NCAA, which began in 1981 continue today and his weekly letters to a self-conscious struggling teenager helped to create the superstar the world has come to know simply as "Shaq".  Man in the Glass:  The Dale Brown Story is the inspiring story of a truly unique man on a life-long quest to answer the question:  How much can one man really do?

Man in the Glass has won multiple awards, including Best Director at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Awards and Audience Choice Best Documentary at the 2011 Sidewalk Film Festival (in competition with Sundance Audience Choice Winner Senna)

Signed limited edition FestForAll poster!  

This year's FestForAll poster design is by graphic design artist Jane Thomas. "When asked to design this year's FestForAll poster around the theme "It's always sunny at FestForAll" I immediately thought of the "greetings from" postcards with the destination name spelled out in giant drop shadow letters filled with photos. FestForAll is so rich in colorful creative images I knew I would have a lot to work with and the postcard theme is a fun way to invite people to 'travel' to the festival."

Jane Thomas is the owner of Thomasgraphics, a freelance graphic design studio. Jane worked for graphic design studios in Columbia, SC; Beverly Hills, CA and New Orleans before opening her own studio in Baton Rouge. Her clients are primarily nonprofit organizations including Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, LSU Law Center, the Baton Rouge Recycling Office and Sun Health Senior Living.

Signed limited edition posters will be available for purchase at FestForAll, May 5 - 6.

Great Food and Beverages
Mockler Beverage and Baton Rouge Coca-Cola beverages will be for sale as well as a variety of delicious food from our participating food vendors including: Snow-T-Go, Jambalaya by Shake, Tres Flores Funnel Cakes, Texas Custom Catering, Krazy Kajun, Gabriel's Cajun Concessions, Grill Ville USA, Chicken Shack and more!  

 _____________________________
FestForAll is a showcase for all the great things that are going on in Baton Rouge. It is a chance for families to come downtown and eat, play, dance and shop. Children and adults can experience visual arts, music, and dance in a wonderful festival atmosphere. FestForAll celebrates the creative energy of our great community.

Special thanks to FestForAll sponsors including: the Office of the Mayor-President and Metro-Council; Louisiana Office of Tourism, Office of the Lt. Governor, Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism; Visit Baton Rouge; Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, All Star Automotive; PreSonus; Penske Truck Rental; Let's Be Totally Clear; Junior League of Baton Rouge; Coca-Cola; Entergy; Capital One Bank; and Mockler Beverage Company.

FestForAll - a Baton Rouge tradition since 1974 - is free & open to everyone. FestForAll has a distinguished 30+year history garnering a reputation as one of Louisiana's finest art and music festivals.

FestForAll Music CDs
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