The Eclectic Festival Celebrates Music and Arts in South Pasadena

Get excited for South Pasadena’s multi-part arts and music festival this May! The Eclectic Festival has been gaining popularity for the past nine years and will feature over 60 acts for 2017. From music to food and visual art to an interactive art project, The Eclectic has it all.

“This is an event that’s really for the community,” said Laurie Wheeler, President and CEO of the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. “It started to celebrate the fact that there are so many artists and musicians in South Pasadena.”

The line up includes a variety of musicians from many genres as well as the festival’s most well-known headliner, OZOMATLI. The band is celebrating 22 years of original children’s music with a new album, Nonstop: Mexico ? Jamaica, which drops on May 5. They will open the festival at 3 p.m. on the Gold Line Stage.

“It’s a really relaxed way to experience music,” said Dave Plenn, musician and owner of The Dinosaur Farm. He will also be performing at the festival. “There’s a whole [music] scene here – it’s low-key but with a lot of talented people.”

In addition to music, the Eclectic Festival features an Artists’ Alley with visual artists and a large-scale art project called “Bloom.” This project invites attendees to create giant flowers which will be installed at Library Park near the Community Room of the South Pasadena Library.

“Jump on the Gold Line and get off at South Pasadena Station – just wander around town – you’ll stumble across music and stores you didn’t even know where there…it’s just a really great family-friendly event,” said Wheeler.

The Eclectic Preview Party, which helped raise funds to keep the festival free, was held at Craft Hill in South Pasadena. The venue will also be a performance space for the festival. The event honored Dave Plenn, musician and owner of South Pasadena’s Dinosaur Farm; Lissa Reynolds and Howard Spector, of SPARC, South Pasadena Arts Council, with Creative Community Awards.

The Eclectic Festival will take place on Saturday, May 6  from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m.. It is free and open to the public. Visit www.TheEclectic.Rocks for more information.