by Deja Fischer
The Timber Creek High School Thespians hosted the first annual East Orlando Art Festival on Mar. 9, 2013, and donated 10% of the proceeds to the Give Kids the World Village.
“I really enjoyed the event. The live entertainment plus the wonderful weather that day made the festival very fun,” said senior Karina Pasarell. The festival was free to attend, with added costs to participate in crafts, buy merchandise and watch the drama department’s productions.
The planning for the festival had been in the works for about a year. “The students and audience seemed to have a great time. I really look forward to improving and growing it for next year and already have a lot of ideas,” said Elizabeth Horn, head of the Timber Creek Thespians.
Senior student officers Amanda Milanetti, Miola Aganovic, Chris Newton, Camaren Edson, and junior Haley Ward put in a great amount of time organizing the event. The drama department decided to form this event in order to raise money for students to attend state competitions. The festival served for a more effective fundraising technique, allowing the community to participate in the daylong event instead of putting together multiple small events.
Local art organizations were given the opportunity to perform at the event. A Desperate Endeavor, a local band, preformed on an outside stage at the event. The crowd was very involved in their show. “Their music was very similar to the bands I have listened to in the past so I decided to download their album off of iTunes,” commented senior Jasmine Farlin.
The event was interactive, with crafts and activities for children, including a petting zoo and face painting. The drama department even gave a sneak peek of their upcoming production Legally Blonde. There were also performances from the Orlando Repertory Theatre, Magic Curtain Productions, Avalon School of Music and Orlando Ariel Arts. The festival was sponsored by Avalon Park Jewelers, Gator’s Dockside, Leaps and Bounce, and 11th Hour.
The Timber Creek Thespians hope to continue the event and have the 2nd Annual East Orlando Art Festival next year. “There are so many great arts organizations in East Orlando. I was happy to have them at the festival, and thank everyone who came out to support the arts,” added Horn.