LAAFF 2015!

FREE STREET FESTIVAL! *ART-MUSIC-INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCES* *LOCAL FOOD & VENDORS* *FUN ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES* +EVENT INFO+ LAAFF is a FREE, local, all-original festival celebrating all things “Asheville”! Now the largest independent street fair in Asheville, LAAFF showcases an assortment of homegrown art, food, music, and performances along with interactive activities for kids and adults alike. On Sunday, September 6th, we come together to support the growing community of artists, activists, and all-around amazing people that make Western North Carolina the unique collaborative oasis we call home. With three stages highlighting all types of music, various interactive performances, a soap box derby, and more, the LAAFF experience offers a wide variety of fun and entertainment for the whole family. Festival goers will also have the opportunity to peruse the many shops and street vendors at the heart of our local economy, along with a merchandise area with tons of LAAFF and performer merchandise. 100% of performer merch proceeds go back to the artists themselves! LAAFF relies on community support to ensure our success each year. LAAFF is a volunteer driven event, with minimal staff put on by and for the community. If you'd like to donate to the festival or Arts 2 people, your tax-deductible contribution ensures the ongoing successes of this much anticipated Asheville celebration. Contact LAAFF2.0@gmail.com to get involved! +BACKGROUND+ The North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association named Lexington Avenue one of the top five “Great Main Streets” in the state due to its significant transformation from boarded up buildings to thriving independent businesses with a unique and creative culture. LAAFF’s intention is to celebrate that spirit of creativity and innovation and the overall renaissance of Lexington Avenue by creating a locally-focused, arts inspired, community-building event each year to be shared by participants from across the region and beyond. Arts2People is a non-profit social service organization dedicated to the principle that the arts lend to the health of a community as much as a healthy community lends to the presence of the arts. A2P manages local arts programming focused on outreach, arts in healing, artist career development and community cultural development. LAAFF is the greatest evidence of A2P’s mission to improve quality of life for everyone by fostering our local arts economy and is the financial vehicle for most annual operating costs of programs like the Asheville Mural Project. Asheville Mural Project facilitated the Public Art murals beneath the I-240 bridge. These beautiful artistic representations of the city of Asheville have become one of the most notable artistic attractions in the downtown area. ~See you on Lexington Avenue!~