Artown kicked off its 2023 season July 1 with its annual Discover the Arts interactive children’s programs, arts activities and river walk parade that began at the McKinley Arts & Culture Center.
The family friendly event featured kids activities like ballon animals, magicians and painting activities.
“We have this amazing opening event here,” Artown ’s outreach coordinator, Rosie Brownlow, told This Is Reno. “We have a magician, a balloonist and our famous monster mural. We even have some some dogs from the Nevada Humane Society up for adoption so its a real fun carnival type atmosphere for families before we do our parade to Wingfield.”
Then official celebration, called Discover Opening Day, was then led by police and the MarchForth Marching Band down Riverside Drive to Wingfield Park where they performed a few musical numbers to conclude the opening ceremony celebrations.
The Portland-based marching band features an array of musicians and performing artists such as stilt walkers and acrobatic performers as well as live bass and electric guitar, horns and a percussion section, whose drum harnesses are made from recycled bicycle parts.
The group is an exciting visual ensemble and performs both cover and original numbers with musical roots influenced by rock, ska, jazz, klezmer and swing.
The band led a crowd of spectators and residents to the Wingfield Park amphitheater where Artown Executive Director Beth Macmillan welcomed the attendees and officially kicked off the annual, month-long celebration of art in the Biggest Little City.
