Changeville Music and Arts Festival is bringing around 5,000 peoplefrom all aspects of entertainment and the community to promote social change.
The two-day festival, this Thursday, Feb. 7 and Friday, Feb. 8, will feature musical performances, films, poetry readings, discussion panels and comedy routines in venues located in downtown Gainesville.
Some of the local and national musicians performing include The Forum, Japanese Breakfast, AJJ, Big Freedia, Flipturn, Mike Llerena & The Nerve, Zeta, Pool Kids, Stereo RV, Ted Leo, Expert Timing and Sooza.
Unlike other music festivals, all the performers must submit an application explaining the work they are currently contributing to social change, said Jennifer Vito, Executive Director of Changeville.
“All of the artists and everyone involved shares a passion for social change and does some work in that area,” Vito said. “So, it’s different than booking a regular festival where you’re just like ‘Who’s hot right now?’ but we’re like, ‘Who’s hot and who does work in social change?’”
Vito said every year the festival will do a benefit and this year’s benefit is through a partnership with PLUS1 that will help support equality and education. A dollar from each ticket sale will be donated to one local and one national organization. The local organization is Gainesville Girls Rock Camp and the national organization is Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings, a program that works with education in juvenile justice facilities.
New this year to Changeville is Greenroom, a mixture event located at Big Top Brewery from 6-8 p.m. on Friday where guests can interact with headliners and speakers from the UF
College of Journalism and Communications’ frank conference.
Other popular activities include the Bo Diddley Plaza street fair on Thursday from 5-9:30 p.m. with food trucks, vendors and live music. Guests will be able to buy an individual ticket for specific shows or purchase a VIP all-access festival pass which comes with a T-shirt and extra perks such as better seating.
Vito said she is most excited about the connections and collaborations from this year’s lineup and artists.
“We have a very diverse lineup. I guess that is something I’m proud of and we strive to do every year to just make more of a platform and help visibility of more diverse range of artists,” Vito said.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.changeville.us/tickets
This year’s performances include shows from Big Freedia and Japanese Breakfast.
