Aiming to create a citywide arts tradition, nonprofit organization Downtown Evanston turned to the city’s two most popular attractions over the weekend: its bustling downtown and the Northwestern campus.
Downtown Evanston hosted the first Center Stage Downtown Block Party on Saturday, a day before BackStage Evanston showcased wide-ranging talents from 17 performance groups, including the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra and the Evanston Dance Ensemble.
“We collaborated with BackStage Evanston from the beginning to talk about how we could make it a full arts weekend,” said Carolyn Dellutri, executive director of Downtown Evanston. “This community really embraces the arts.”
Spanning from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the musical block party featured performances from four different bands as well as a dance lesson and storytelling for children.
The event took place on Maple Avenue between Church and Clark streets and was inspired by the “It’s Thursday, Let’s Dance” series held there this past summer, Dellutri said. Residents gathered six times over the summer for a dance lesson and band performance, with many of those bands returning to play at Center Stage.
“This town just loves to dance,” she said. “We decided to take it to a different level.”
Dan Waldschmidt said the highlight of the event was watching the band The Flat Cats perform. He said the atmosphere was “very laid back,” adding he only wished it were held on a larger scale.
“We happened to stumble upon it last minute,” the Rogers Park resident said. “It’s perfect. I’d come back next year.”
BackStage Evanston Chairperson Penny Rotheiser said the addition of Center Stage to the weekend’s festivities helped bolster Evanston’s already rich arts scene.
“Building a whole weekend around it lets everybody – whatever their particular interest – get involved in something,” she said.
Center Stage served as a good precursor to BackStage Evanston, Dellutri said.
The second annual event strives to provide more attention to the city’s performing arts organizations, Rotheiser said.
“This is the only place where somebody can come and see them all in one place,” Rotheiser said.
BackStage Evanston included three additional performing arts groups in its lineup this year, also changing its location from the Strubel Theater and Wallis Theater to the Ethel M. Barber Theater to accommodate a greater audience. Groups took the stage for five minutes.
Each musical, dance or theater group was stationed at its own table in the lobby, where attendees could ask questions and purchase discounted tickets to upcoming shows.
“The arts are an important component of the community, and we’re going to keep building on that,” Dellutri said.
