“It truly is a celebration of community, and we knew we had to continue the tradition.” — Lauren Embree, event director
Staff Report
Arkansas’ largest New Year’s festival, Last Night Fayetteville, will return to the downtown square on December 31st to celebrate the end of the year with local bands 3 Penny Acre, Groovement and Randall Shreve & the Sideshow headlining the main stage.
Seven indoor venues around the square will host myriad musicians, performers, comedians and artists, promising to provide a full evening of entertainment for revelers of all ages. The tradition continues as Fayetteville welcomes 2013 with the Fly-N-Hog Drop countdown to midnight and a spectacular fireworks display presented by Cox Communications.
With the success of the inaugural event in 2011, Last Night Fayetteville event director Lauren Embree said it was an easy decision to produce the event again for 2012.
“Last year all of our venues were packed with patrons enjoying so many amazing local performers & artists, many for the first time,” said Embree. “It truly is a celebration of community, and we knew we had to continue the tradition.”
Other musical acts set to perform include Emily Kaitz and Still on the Hill on the folk stage and a jazz stage curated by North Arkansas Jazz Society president Robert Ginsburg. Comedy lovers will laugh in the New Year with Phunbags Comedy Improv and the NWA Comedians, while theatre fans won’t want to miss Artist’s Laboratory Theatre’s new production of “Found Fayetteville,” which debuted to sold out audiences at Last Night in 2011.
New additions to the evening’s festivities include an expanded performance schedule, a local beer garden showcasing the region’s best brews, an adults-only performance by the dance troupe Blossom’s Burlesque, and a one of a kind VIP experience presented by Chef David Lewis at BHK Kafe. Visual arts also take the stage at this year’s event, with art installations at the Fayetteville Underground including a fashion gallery featuring the work of local designers, and a short-film festival presented by the Seedling Film Association.
Festival goers of all ages will enjoy performances by juggling duo Jugglology, Fayetteville Word Wars, and the Terra-Nova Belly Dancers. A full children’s stage will feature music by Shaky Bugs & Jason Suel, interactive art projects hosted by Terra Studios, a performance by Marshall Mitchell, theater games with the Art’s Live Theatre ensemble, as well as the return of the traditional Giant Puppet Parade around the Square.
Find out more and buy tickets at www.LastNightFayetteville.com as well as Little Bread Company, The Mustache Goods & Wears, and Fayetteville Underground. To stay up-to-date on the latest news, follow Last Night Fayetteville on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LastNightFayetteville or Twitter @LastNightVille.
