Festival planners hope to stengthen local ties

Kimberley McGee

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 10:30 a.m.

What: "Colore La Strada." When: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Where: County Government Center Amphitheater, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.

Tickets: $5; $3 for children; children under 5 admitted free.

Information: 455-8817.

A community is as strong as the ties and traditions that bind it.

At least that's what the planners at Clark County Special Events considered when planning its first street fair.

"We thought it would be a nice experiment to see if something as diverse as this can take in our city," Brian Saliba, Clark County program director, said.

For the benefit of the Clark County Development Fund there will be an extravaganza of art and food Saturday at County Government Center Amphitheater.

"Colore La Strada" will feature wine, food dishes from area restaurants, strolling and onstage musical performances and educational workshops.

Performance painter Michael Israel will demonstrate his style of art, in which he paints people's clothing as they stand before him, onstage. The pieces he creates will be auctioned during the festival.

Live music by Las Vegas groups Lil' Elmo & the Cosmos, The Reflex, Frankie and Friends from the "Rat Pack is Back" and other Strip performers will entertain crowds during the six-hour event.

The idea for the festival came about last year after a group of county cultural planners sat down and combed the county's calendar for art programs, Saliba said. They found the packed calendar lacking in diverse, community-oriented events.

"There wasn't enough art," Saliba said. "We are trying to be more mainstream, get people out there and provide a family atmosphere."

Saliba and staff members observed other cities, such as San Luis Obispo, Calif., and San Diego, to learn find what brought citizens out of their homes to mingle and enjoy the community they inhabit.

Kathy Smith, cultural specialist for the county, modeled the Las Vegas street fair after a hugely successful Marin County, Calif., event, which attracted 30,000 people last year for a weekend food-and-art festival.

As part of "Colore La Strada," area artists will get down on the ground with children and draw on sidewalks with chalk.

The event will include educational workshops, wine tasting and food pairing from valley restaurants and a glass-blowing demonstration.

"The festival is meant to give people a better cultural idea of what's in their community," Smith said. "It's a neat concept we hope takes off here."