Community Event Celebrates Visual, Performing Arts Created by Scottsdale K-12 Students
A family festival to celebrate visual and performing arts created by Scottsdale students is returning in late March for its third year.
Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong will be held on March 21 and 22, 2025 at SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center in south Scottsdale. The event is a partnership between Arizona State University, the Scottsdale Unified School District, Scottsdale Arts, the City of Scottsdale, and the SkySong development team.
Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong will be a free, two-day festival of creativity that includes performances, interactive demonstrations, creative interventions, and culinary delights from local food trucks throughout the SkySong campus.
Over the course of the event, attendees will experience performances and art exhibitions delivered by Scottsdale Unified School District students, family friendly arts activities presented by Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, and interactive demonstrations from City of Scottsdale departments.
“We are so pleased to be part of the community’s third annual ArtsFest!” said Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel. “Our students have few opportunities to see and hear each other’s work, so this event has become a highlight of their school year.”
“Now in its third year, Family Arts Fest has quickly established itself as a celebration of the amazing creative gifts of Scottsdale’s student populations,” said Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO with Scottsdale Arts. “Born out of a partnership between Scottsdale Arts, SUSD, Skysong, and the City, Family Arts Fest showcases what’s possible when the region’s premiere school system and arts organization come together through arts education in and beyond the classroom.”
Scottsdale Community Partners (SCP) will be holding their annual Alli Ortega Empty Bowls Fundraiser in the lobby entrance of the event in SkySong Building 1. There will be bowls crafted by SUSD students and the Scottsdale community available for purchase, in addition to an online auction featuring class bowls, art, and various goods donated by the community. Funds raised will support all SCP programs, in partnership with City of Scottsdale Human Services, such as the Vista del Camino Food Bank, Back-to-School, and Healthy Packs weekend food program for SUSD students.
The event starts on Friday, March 21 and runs from 5 to 9 p.m. that day, and will resume Saturday, March 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be several different areas to explore, including:
· Main Stage: Relax under the iconic SkySong tent and enjoy performances throughout the event by SUSD choirs, bands, and orchestras. Festivities kick off on Friday, March 21 at 5pm with a welcome by SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel and other special guests.
· Art Exhibitions, Building 3, Synergy Room: See artworks created by more than 1,000 SUSD elementary, middle, and high school students.
· Arts Zone: Anyone can be an artist! Come make art with Scottsdale Arts through a variety of all-age friendly activities.
· Café Stage: Grab a snack and enjoy performances throughout the event by SUSD musical theater students, student choirs, strings, and orchestras.
· Community Zone: Meet our City of Scottsdale and community partners and learn all about the services and programs the city has to offer!
· Alli Ortega Empty Bowls: Scottsdale Community Partners (SCP) will be holding their annual Alli Ortega Empty Bowls Fundraiser in the lobby entrance of the event in SkySong Building 1. There will be bowls crafted by SUSD students and the Scottsdale community available for purchase, in addition to an online auction featuring class bowls, art, and various goods donated by the community.
Last year’s event was attended by more than 5,000 attendees and featured more than 800 choir, orchestra, theater, and band students performing on the Main Stage and Café Stage. It also featured art exhibitionswith work created by nearly 1,200 SUSD elementary, middle, and high school students from 39 schools. The event raised $46,834 through Scottsdale Community Partner’s Alli Ortega Empty Bowls program.
“Scottsdale is home to a broad variety of family friendly events and we are thrilled to once again be adding the Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong to that mix,” said Joy Racine, Community Involvement Manager, Citizen Service with the City of Scottsdale. “We look forward to recognizing the work of our local students at this exciting event and celebrating a successful third year.”
“We are very pleased to once again bring this celebration of the arts to life on the SkySong campus,” said Chris Anaradian, Director, Commercial Development for University Realty, LLC, a partner in SkySong. “SkySong has always embraced the arts and featured them prominently, and this is a great way to continue that tradition while further connecting with the community.”
Seed funding for the event was provided by a grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to Arizona State University. Sponsorships for the Scottsdale Family ArtsFest at SkySong are available as well. For more information on the event, visit www.skysong.com/artsfest.