Art lovers take note.
Gettysburg may be synonymous with “battlefield,” but, for five days this month, the town will be more about art than armaments. At Gettysburg Fest’s seventh annual event, you can view a vibrant collection of visual art, listen to an eclectic lineup of musical acts, smell and taste culinary works of art, and feel the depth of art-stimulating experiences.
Held at Gettysburg College as well as businesses “on the fringe” of the campus ground, Gettysburg Fest will treat attendees to a wide variety of art events from June 11 to June 15, with more than half of the events free and open to the public.
“[Gettysburg Fest is] a vibrant showcase of the best local, regional and national performing, visual and culinary arts, but in a more action-packed package,” explains Executive Director Randy Prasse. “History and the unique ‘Gettysburg brand’ is something we are respectful of—but the Gettysburg Fest is about contemporary art and culture in Gettysburg. “
When founding Creative Director Karl Held and organizers created the festival seven years ago to showcase American arts and culture, Gettysburg was the natural fit.
“It could have been located anywhere—Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia—but the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Governor’s Awards for the Arts (under former Gov. Ed Rendell) were held in Gettysburg,” explains Prasse. “That was really the springboard for selecting Gettysburg as the home of the new Gettysburg Fest.”
Prasse says that Gettysburg Fest staff members aim to create an exciting and dynamic festival with several initiatives in mind. For local folks, Prasse says that the festival is an accessible and appealing way for people to celebrate their community. A major festival like Gettysburg Fest also drives local economic growth and helps employers participating in the “fringe program” (businesses located beyond festival grounds) to gain and keep customers. Of course, Gettysburg’s history is, in and of itself, a major draw for tourists, so the festival seeks to enhance people’s traveling experiences and local history interests with a rich music and arts experience.
“Our new partnership with Gettysburg College offers a venue—with Civil War battlefield history— that you just cannot top,” explains Prasse. “Two of our three stages are set up on the north and south portico of Pennsylvania Hall.”
Performing against this backdrop are a variety of musical acts, including country music singer Eric Paslay and alt-country indie folk rock band The Lone Bellow.
“We are producing entertainment ranging from traditional brass bands to alternative rock and country; from classical chamber music and comedy to high impact theatrical productions,” says Prasse. “I love not being branded as a set kind of festival. It makes it fun to produce and even more fun to attend.”
Because many attendees requested that the festival host more local musicians, it will feature a “Boys Are Back in Town” evening, featuring local artists who have found success throughout the United States.
With “plein air” style painting all the rage, Gettysburg Fest also will feature local, regional and mid-Atlantic artists painting outdoors on the battlefield and displaying their work in the festival’s Plein Air Show. Artists will also go head-to-head in a “quick draw” competition, in which they must create a painting in under two hours. Other artists will showcase their work in various exhibitions and an art market and bazaar. Art enthusiasts will experience paintings in a variety of styles, as well as photography, sculptures, barn artwork, student art, history portrayed through artwork, colonial demonstrations and more.
“The artists are as varied as the people who will be attending the Fest, so it should be a great dynamic,” says Prasse. “We will also focus on hands-on, fun but educational activities for the entire family—with a number of ‘make and take’ art projects for kids to enjoy after they go home.”
Culinary arts provide a tasty art experience at the festival. Gettysburg Fest will host a Victorian tea, an edible art tour, a pairing of barbecue and blues music, and, new this year, a waiter-waitress obstacle course challenge. On Father’s Day, June 15, stage and screen actor Stephen Lang will perform his one-man show “Beyond Glory,” in which he gives dramatic performances of war veterans’ oral histories.
“Stephen loves Gettysburg and has done so many projects here,” says Prasse. “It will be a very special show.”
Gettysburg is a very moving and exciting place for local people and travelers intrigued and emotionally connected to the history. For Prasse, hosting the festival in such a historic setting is something especially unique about Gettysburg Fest. “That is very humbling for me to produce this exciting, contemporary festival—literally with such an iconic structure as its backdrop.”
Gettysburg Fest takes place June 11 to 15 at Gettysburg College and nearby locations in town. For more information, visit https://gettysburgfestival.org.
