1st Annual LEAF Downtown AVL

LEAF-Downtown-AVL-2015-PosterSince 1995, LEAF has been championing its mission to connect cultures and create community – both locally and globally.

Following the creation of Lake Eden Arts Festival, LEAF expanded its programming to include a focus on arts education with LEAF Schools & Streets and LEAF International.

Now in its 20th Year Anniversary with over 41,000 youth served, LEAF is proud to step into the heart of Asheville with the 1st Annual LEAF Downtown AVL. LEAF Downtown AVL aims to celebrate communities, creativity, diversity and families and work toward a long-term vision of building quality of place by intentionally infusing the power of the arts, culture and creativity.

The inaugural event will take place in Pack Square Park on Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2, 2015. LEAF Downtown kicks off with a Funky Cocktail Crawl July 17 through July 31, followed by Bootsy Funk Dynasty Day at New Mountain AVL on Friday, July 31. The LEAF Art Dash 5K and Family Relay takes place on Saturday, August 1 at 9 a.m.

Bootsy Funk Dynasty Day is a first-time opportunity for music lovers to immerse into a full day funk experience that will include workshops, group intensive skill sessions, and a special 1.5 hour workshop and lecture with the funk master himself, Bootsy Collins! Bootsy Collins will also join LEAF Downtown on the Main Stage on August 1 for an encore of the May 2014 dynamo performance held at the LEAF Festival.

The LEAF Art Dash is an opportunity to “Run Your Ash Off” in support of arts education in Western North Carolina. The run will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday with a chip-timed 5k for individual runners. The course will travel through the city’s downtown and surrounding area.

At 10 a.m. a Friend & Families Relay will commence from the start line. Teams of four people will compete in a relay. At each exchange point, team members will work with volunteers from Roots + Wings School of Art and Design to create small works of art that will contribute to a larger communal project which will then be donated to the city of Asheville.

Register for Bootsy Funk Dynasty Day and the LEAF Art Dash online at theLEAF.org.

LEAF Downtown AVL is open to all families from all communities and is a FREE, non-ticketed event! Come celebrate the milestone of 20 years with LEAF artists, performers, youth, parents, staff and volunteers!

LEAF Downtown AVL Performer Lineup

  • Bootsy Collins’ Rubber Band
  • Red Baraat
  • Dangermuffin
  • LEAF Love Band
  • Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
  • The Main Squeeze
  • Old Landmarks Gospel Blow Out
  • The London Souls
  • Empire Strikes Brass
  • Arouna Diarra
  • Santos
  • Marcel Anton
  • Indigo de Sauza
  • To All My Dear Friends
  • Unifire Theatre
  • Faerie Kin
  • Asheville Yoga
  • Old Timers in the Round
  • Fritz Beer & The Crooked Beat
  • And Many More…

If You Go: LEAF Downtown AVL, Pack Square Park, Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2, 2015. Bootsy Funk Dynasty Day at New Mountain AVL on July 31. The LEAF Art Dash 5K and Family Relay, Saturday, August 1 at 9 a.m. More details at www.theLEAF.org