Festival of the Arts in Coral Springs. {City of Coral Springs}

By Bryan Boggiano

After COVID caused event organizers to cancel the event in 2020 and 2021, The Coral Springs Festival of the Arts returns for the first time since 2019.

The three-day Festival will takes place on Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, featuring a variety of music groups, performers, dancers, artists, creators, and more, including signature artist Susan Greeley.

Festival coordinator Shirley Richards hopes to further their goal of educating, entertaining and inspiring. For families, especially children, she hopes that those considering a career in the arts feel inspired.

“I just hope people come and enjoy themselves, maybe see something they want to see more of,” Richards said.

Richards and the Festival’s 30-member executive committee recruited artists and acts from all genres, crafts, backgrounds, and ethnicities to showcase their work.

On March 18, the Festival hosts a literary workshop with Gayle Ross, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, and WLRN’s Caren Neile at the Center for the Arts at 6:30 p.m.

Workshop attendees can sign up to tell their own stories at the Performing Arts stage at the Festival, with a competition on Saturday., March. 19 at 11 a.m.

On Mar. 19 and 20, the Festival takes place at The Walk from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day.

There will be two stages showcasing performance artists and music acts. The performance art stage will include Irish, Polynesian, and Peruvian acts, while the music stage will include jazz music, country music, and a tribute to Tina Turner.

The committee also revamped the Festival and kept the exhibitions up to date. Richards said that people tend to go east of I-95 for art festivals, but places farther away from Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton also have a lot to offer.

Richards said in past years, the Festival featured graffiti art, cake design, and fashion, among other art forms.

“We have to stretch our imaginations and continue to innovate to make people want to come,” she said.

The 2022 festival put more pressure on Richards and the committee since they did not host a festival since 2019.

In March 2020, widespread COVID-related shutdowns led to the Festival’s cancelation, and in 2021, another COVID surge led organizers to reschedule.

At the time, the Coral Springs Festival of the Arts executive committee contacted city officials and Howard Alan Events, event producer, and they all agreed that public health was a top priority.

Despite the challenges, festival coordinator Shirley Richards said that the committee’s loyalty and commitment enabled the Festival to resume for another year.

“This was a make it or break it year,” Richards said.

Coral Springs Festival of the Arts

Parking

Coral Springs Festival of the Arts Parking

Parking will be available at the Coral Springs Center for the Arts, located at 2855 Coral Springs Drive, and the City Hall Garage, located at 9500 W. Sample Road.

Permit parking will be available behind the walk.

There will be free all-day trolley transportation with stops at the Center for the Arts, the City Hall Garage, and behind The Walk on Northwest 94th Avenue and Northwest 25th Court.

Performance Schedule

Sat., March 19

12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Drake Irish School of Dance

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Gold Coast Banjo Band

2:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. South Florida Jubilee Chorus

3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oceanik Steel Drum Band

4:15 to 5 p.m. Tama Leaos Polynesian Show

Sun., March 2o

12 p.m. to 12:20 Marinera En El Mundo Florida – Peruvian Dance Group

1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m./1:45 p.m. Ronin Taiko Drummers

2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. America Dances – The Debra Weiss Dance Company presents “America Dances!”

3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Flamenco Guitarist – Eric Hansen

4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Dixie Players – Dixieland Band

Music Schedule

Sat., March 19

11: 30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Steve Pomeranz Band – Soft Rock/Jazz

1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Shadow Creek – Classic Rock

3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Simply Tina “Tina Turner Tribute Show”

Sun., March 2o

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Last Flight Out Big Band – Music From the 1940s, 1950s (19 Pieces)

1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Whisky Six Country Music

3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Son Caladad Latin Band

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Author Profile

Bryan Boggiano

Bryan has a degree in journalism from the University of Florida and earned his masters in geosciences from Florida International University, where he focused in atmospheric sciences. His interests include weather, entertainment, and municipal government.