AwesomeFest 2018 left us with all the feels. From the live music and impromptu dancing, to the stilt walkers and street performers, the creativity and comradery, to the all-out merriment, the weekend was electric, and we didn’t want it to end.
The revelry kicked off on AwesomeEve (Friday, April 13) with dinner in the street and a party at The ‘Mark.
Eastmark adults gathered around one large farm table at Cambium Court park for a family style dinner under twinkling bistro lights.
Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco, Erich and Yvonne Schultz of Steadfast Farm, and Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas WineWorks, brought their world-class dishes and drinks to Eastmark, while musician Keith Jones filled the night with his smooth guitar sound.
While the adults wined and dined, the kids met at The ‘Mark for a party with the Be Kind Crew. They moved and grooved, and met new neighborhood pals, all while learning a routine to perform at AwesomeFest.
Then on Saturday afternoon, a parade of residents and community groups strolled down Eastmark Parkway to kick off the main event.
The parade spectators cheered on as nearby schools, Eastmark clubs, Mesa Fire Department, and local businesses danced, strolled, and drove down the street, some tossing candy as they went.
As the gates opened at 4 p.m., AwesomeFest 2018 was officially underway. Where do we even begin?
Let’s start with the off-the-hook musical line up of Shallow Water, Jerusafunk (they’re one-of-a-kind, eh?), and Crosstown Players.
Then there were all the other sights and sounds: roaming stilt walkers, Boom! drumline, Footklan hip hop dance crew, a live muralist, magic shows, mermaids floating in bubbles (say what?), a gigantic VW bug, musical instrument jam zones, sign spinners, audience dance-a-longs with the Be Kind Crew, inflatable slides, stargazing, lakeside fire pits, glowing hot air balloons, a hands-on wildlife station, face painting, food trucks, and spur-of-the-moment parades. Whew!
Thank you to the more than 3,000 Eastmark residents and community guests who shared this spectacular night with us.
Photo ops were aplenty at AwesomeFest, and we’ve put a whole slew of them up on Facebook. Take a peek through the AwesomeFest pics, AwesomeEve Adults pics, and AwesomeEve Kids pics. Feel free to tag yourself and tag your friends too.
Loved everything? Liked nothing? Thoughts for the next go-around? Give it to us straight.
If you have a few minutes and haven’t done so already, we’d love for you to take a brief survey about your experiences at AwesomeEve and/or AwesomeFest. We want to hear it all.
Until next time, stay awesome Eastmark!
Welcome to Eastmark