The city of Glendale is celebrating the arts in a big way on February 4, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, Local First Arizona, and the city of Glendale are collaborating to bring over 100 artists, musicians, and interactive arts experiences to the community. A week before the Big Game (Super Bowl LVII) kicks-off in Glendale, the heart of downtown will welcome the community to connect and celebrate through arts and culture.

Preparations are underway for the outdoor fest, which will feature Arizona's strong arts and culture offerings. Murphy Park will serve as the backdrop for the event with live music performances, an artisan market, local wine and beer garden, live painting, art installations, and food vendors for visitors and residents to experience and enjoy.

Our goal is to provide a quality family-friendly event that highlights Downtown Glendale and our diverse communities to Arizona residents and visitors alike, said Glendale Arts & Culture Program Manager, Mojgan Vahabzadeh. We strive to grow partnerships that help strengthen the relationship between people and their public spaces through engaging arts experiences.

The Downtown Glendale Arts & Culture Fest will go beyond the park's boundaries and encourage participation from the diverse businesses that make up this walkable shopping district. Attendees will experience pop-up performances at local businesses, consisting of live painting, acoustic music performances, artist demonstrations, and performance art. Local First Arizona will partner with downtown businesses to launch a passport program that will encourage visits and engagements with area merchants the day of the event and beyond.

Already confirmed as featured performers are VESSEL and Flam Chen. The atmospheric theater performance by VESSEL will surprise and delight audiences transforming the street into a stage. Performers playfully weave in and out of audiences and public space creating a visual kaleidoscope. The performance will be from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Audiences will be delighted by a spectacular showcase featuring Flam Chen at 7:00 p.m. in Murphy Park E. Lowell Rogers Amphitheatre. The collaborative performance will incorporate elaborate costuming, tightly woven choreography, puppetry, stilt-walking, music, and other circus and fire arts. Full schedule of events, activations, and performances will be available in January 2023.

"SAACA is honored to collaborate in this event that will provide opportunities for local artists and entrepreneurs to promote and sell their work," Executive Director Kate Marquez said. "SAACA is elated to partner with Local First Arizona and the city of Glendale on this exciting event designed to blend creative placemaking with local business engagement at the center of a community experience."

Applications are now available online for artisans, food vendors, and exhibitors interested in participating in the event and can be accessed online at https://www.downtownglendalefest.com/