LAAFF announces schedule for Aug. 31 festival

Photo by LAAFF staff

Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival  returns on Sunday, Aug. 31 with a full day’s worth of music, art street theater, local vendors, food and drink and more. Festival planners just released the lineup, which includes more than a dozen bands on two stages, with an additional stage programmed by Lex 18 moonshine bar. The event takes place from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Lexington Avenue, between the I-240 overpass and College Street.

MAIN STAGE
• Youth Circus Arts Performance, 11 a.m.
David Earl (folk, soul), noon
Nataraj (world, improv), 1:30 p.m.
Asian Teacher Factory (avant-rock), 3 p.m.
• Members of Free Planet Radio with special guests Billy Cardine and John Vorus (world, fusion), 4:30 p.m.(world, fusion), 4:30 p.m.
The Fritz (funk, rock), 6 p.m.
stephaniesid (indie-pop), 7:30 p.m.

INTERSECTION OF LEXINGTON AND WALNUT
• Unifire Theater, 8:45 p.m.

WALNUT STAGE
• Delta House Jazz Band (youth group from LEAF in Schools & Streets), 11:30 a.m.
Alex Krug (singer-songwriter), 12:45 p.m.
Indigo (indie-folk), 2 p.m.
Lazybirds (Americana, roots), 3:15 p.m.
Savannah Smith (singer-songwriter), 4:30 p.m.
Noonday Feast (Celtic-Appalachian folk), 5:45 p.m.
Leah Song (from Appalachia Rising, solo set), 7 p.m.

LEX 18 STAGE (jazz and swing)
Hot Point Trio (Gypsy jazz) 11:30 a.m.
• Antique Costume Contest sign-up (categories include 1920 flappers female fashions, 1920 prohibition bootleggers men’s outfits, Victorian female fashion, Victorian male fashion, antique aliens to Dr. Who kids costumes), 1 p.m.
• Costume judging, 1:30-4 p.m.
The Roaring Lions (nontraditional traditional jazz), 2:30 p.m.
• Costume contest winners, 5 p.m.
Drayton & the Dreamboats, (crooner jazz) 5:30 p.m.

From a press release:

LAAFF is back and still celebrating local culture and creativity!
Arts 2 People is excited to announce the return of LAAFF, on Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville, Sunday August 31st from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.  As always, there will be lots of great local music, art, food, and beer and plenty of fun for the whole family.  With three stages of music, fire dancing, belly dancing, and break dancing, circus acts, pop-up theatre and other interactive arts and kids’ activities, there will be plenty to see and do.

A big thanks for the generous support of the Lexington Merchants,  Valet Gourmet, Henco Reprographics, and Lex18, and to all our sponsors, volunteers, and organizers.

Support your local artists and come out to find a perfect gift for a loved one or a treat for yourself.  There are still limited spaces available for vending, contact: LAAFFvendors@gmail.com  and to volunteer contact LAAFF2.0@gmail.com.

Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, bring the whole family (but no dogs please), come in costume and ready to be silly and to celebrate all the flavors our community has to offer.   Help us bring back the LAAFF spirit now and for the future.   We look forward to the possibility of future collaborations within our community, and to carrying on the LAAFF tradition.

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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6 thoughts on “LAAFF announces schedule for Aug. 31 festival

  1. JOHN-C

    Out of all the bands to choose from in Asheville… This lineup doesn’t reflect the edgyness that IS Lexington! Sorry but WEAK lineup! ? ? ? ? ?

    • Glenn

      The Fritz is pretty edgy! Go and see them! They’re tight and good! Get up on that dance floor!

    • Alli Marshall

      John-C, I’d recommend sharing your thoughts with the LAAFF planning committee. I’m sure they’d welcome input, suggestions for the future, and volunteer help!

      Also, while the lineup is more limited than in years past, it is an interesting cross-section of Asheville’s many genres (and cross-pollinations thereof), along with a mix of seasoned performers (stephaniesid, Nataraj) and up-and-coming artists (Indigo is a teenager with an immense talent).

  2. ChaBuku A.D. Bakke

    Hey, LAAFF has left us out of the schedule (once again), but Unifire Theater will be performing Sunday night at the intersection of Lexington and Walnut at around performance around 8:45.

    Check it out! Asheville’s finest fire arts and performance arts entertainment!

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