On Feb. 18, the Art Central Foundation will hold its fourth annual Mardi Gras fundraiser at a new location — the Pendleton Art Center at 1105 Central Ave.
“We can expand, have a bigger dance floor, have more room to add games,” said Wittman. “It’s just a fun atmosphere.”
The foundation had held its annual fundraiser for the past three years at the old Masonic building on Central, but it was at capacity. Last year 125 people attended, but with a larger space Wittman anticipates many more people coming.
“I think the more people you bring into the downtown the better,” said Wittman. “This is another time during the month that people can enjoy the Pendletown Art Center.”
The goal is to raise $5,000 to $6,000 for the Art Central Foundation, she said.
“It’s good for us to have a bigger venue so we can continue to grow the event,” she said.
The entertainment Robin Lacy & DeZydeco, a band with roots in Cajun and Zydeco-style music, but is also known around the region for its blues, old school country and rock roots. They’ve played the party for Wittman’s admittedly selfish reasons.
“One of my favorite bands is Robin Lacy and DeZydeco,” she said, “and Mardi Gras is their time of year.”
Pendleton Art Center Marketing Director Suzanne Sizer said getting more people in the door of the facility is always a good thing, and it also helps downtown Middletown.
“We are so glad to have all the people who support the Art Central Foundation come downtown,” said Sizer. “We’re so pleased the Art Central Foundation is having its party there, especially since Mardi Gras is such a fun party.”
Lacy said his band has developed into a niche no one else has attempted to get into — being the band that plays Mardi Gras music.
His band has played the three previous Art Central Foundation’s fundraisers and said, “It’s a lot of fun.”
However, he’s looking forward to playing a larger venue. While he hasn’t been to the PAC yet, he hopes the band can move around like it does during one of their outdoor concerts.
“In the past, it’s been in a pretty small, contained area,” he said. “It does make it a lot more fun when you can move around, talk with the people in the crowd and throw beads out.”
Since the PAC opened last year, it’s hosted a number of community events, including the Charity Ball, the chamber of commerce’s annual meeting and the area Realtor’s annual meeting.
And bringing people downtown is “bringing some liveliness there.”
The fundraiser supports the Art Central Foundation, which one of its missions is to provide children with summer art classes.
“It gives them something fun and creative to do,” Wittman said.
Art Central Foundation is in its seventh year and began, Wittman said, as a request by Light Up Middletown organizers to help decorate some of the vacant buildings in downtown. The “Got Art” campaign was born, and the foundation took over Music on Main and transformed it into the Main Street Art and Music Festival.
The foundation also focuses on access to the public arts and education.
“If the goal is to make downtown Middletown an arts community, you need to educate the youth so they’ll know the value of arts to a community” when they’re older.
The Mardi Gras fundraiser is sponsored by Flowers by Roger, Brios at the Green and All About You Catering, which Wittman said “have been huge supporters of the Art Central Foundation fundraiser and our events.” New sponsors include SunCoke Energy and the Mattress Monkey, which is donating a Serta Mattress with headboard valued at $1,900 to be auctioned off.
Admission is $30 a ticket and includes appetizers and a goodie bag with beads, mask and eight doubloons. The doubloons are good for buying drinks and playing games (where you can win more doubloons). People can also buy more doubloons, which will only be accepted for drinks, games and raffle baskets.
And while costumes are optional, people usually have a lot of fun with them, Wittman said.
Advance tickets are available online at www.artcentralfoundation.org or at the Pendleton Art Center. For more information, visit the website or the Art Central Foundation’s Facebook page.
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