Festivalgoers enjoy live music, car show Saturday
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 07/20/2009
Zoe Hayes | Summer Reporter
A couple dances to Indianapolis-area pop rock band Zanna Doo at the 18th annual Dancing in the Streets festival.
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There was some dancing, plenty of music, and a lot of stationary cars in the streets of Lafayette Saturday evening.
The rain held off as hundreds flooded the downtown Lafayette area for the 18th annual Dancing in the Streets festival. People came to listen to a variety of bands, check out the vintage and newer cars lining the streets, and try food from area restaurants.
“I think the whole thing is great,” said Kyla Houston, a Purdue staff member. “It gets the whole community out in a community event and gets people fit through dance and staying active.”
Houston is the instructor for the Triple S Sassy Snake Stompers, a clogging group that meets at Morton’s Community Center. They were one of several street performing groups that turned out for the event; other dancers included the Oasis Dancers, a belly dancing troupe, and DMG’s Dancers, while Smile Unlimited clowns and the Shhh! Silent Comedy Troupe of mimes mingled with the crowd. The Civic Youth Theatre of Greater Lafayette touring team performed scripted and improv comedy for part of the evening.
“I just like the reaction that people have to them,” said Melanie Buchanan, youth director of the theater. “They’re impressed that they can just get out there without inhibitions.”
However, the main events were the performing bands and the car cruise and show. Among the most popular music acts were Amanda Overmyer, an American Idol finalist whose southern rock stylings entertained the largest crowd at the event, Zanna Doo, an Indianapolis band that performed a variety of high-energy pop covers; other acts included the Bobby Clark Band, Waltz for Venus, Chemcoma, The Groove Catz, and The Woomblies.
One crowd favorite was Roy Reynolds, an Elvis tribute artist who has performed at the festival for 13 years.
“He’s someone we’ve always had and he fits the theme really well,” said Erin Nelson, program manager for Greater Lafayette Commerce and one of the event organizers.
Ethan Hall, a Purdue Night Train swing dancing club member and junior in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, came out later in the evening to listen to The Toy Factory, an R&B and dance band from Indianapolis.
“They’re interesting,” he said. “They’re really good. They’ve got a lot of variety to them.”
Many of the most enthusiastic dancers were in the 10 and under crowd. Jessica Lee, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts, said, “I saw a 5-year-old toddler run on to the belly dancing stage. It was so cute!”
But while a few danced, others were admiring the cars. James Rogerson, a student at Lafayette Jefferson High School, said, “I came to hang out with friends. It’s awesome, the cars are amazing.”
The cars are Nelson’s most-anticipated part of the event. She said, “My favorite thing is the variety of all the different cars and motorcycles we get. We don’t just get some classic cars, we get antique cars all the way to new green energy cars ... The vehicles are probably the biggest part of the event.”