Page 40 - the NOISE December 2012

John Doan of a Victorian Christmas. cOURTESy PHOTO cOURTESy PHOTO
Hopi Ha Hai Eh Katsina by Filmer kewanyama
Prescott can’t promise snow for the holi- days, but this little town will certainly be pulling out all the stops. After all, Prescott lobbied hard to be named Arizona’s Christ- mas City and they take the honorary title very seriously. So yeah, with a few exceptions, the holidays are pretty much front and center for December’s arts and culture events.
The holiday madness kicks off for really re- als on Saturday, December 1. This single day is just jam-packed with events. Pull on your warmest coat and bring a lawn chair and maybe a thermos of hot chocolate or coffee and head down to – you guessed it – down- town Prescott for the 30th Annual Christmas Parade. The parade runs from 1pm until 3pm, but head out early to get a good spot on the parade route and to avoid the inevi- table parking mess.
If the parade didn’t overload you on Christ- mas cheer, then mosey over to Sharlot Hall Museum for their Frontier Celebration. It’s literally less than two blocks off the Square, so it’s not at all out of the way. You’ll have to pony up the $5 museum admission fee, but that’s not really a bad deal. This holiday event is actually pretty cool for the history buffs and kids out there, as folks in Territorial Days era clothing will be at various stations of the museum. You can watch folks making hot ci- der and gingerbread cookies, but y’know, in a historical kind of way. For more info, visit the Sharlot Hall Museum website at sharlot. org or give them a call at (928) 445-3122.
And if you find yourself still screaming for more holiday hoorah, then you might as well stay downtown, grab some dinner and then head back to the Courthouse Square for the 58th Annual Courthouse Lighting. Whether you love or loathe the lights on the Square, the “Oooh, Aaaah” factor is undeniable. Just be at the Square between 6pm and 8pm to watch ‘em flip the switch.
On the musical front, the fab peeps at the Folk Sessions are putting on not one, but two holiday themed concerts. First up is A Cowboy Christmas, featuring Jon Messen- ger, Tony Norris and Nancy Ruybal. This is the
third year for
this extremely
popular evening of cowboy songs and sto- ries. Prescott Center for the Arts is co-spon- soring the event and providing the venue, so get your tickets early for the December 15 show. Tickets are $17 and can be purchased by calling (928) 445-3286 or by visiting the PCA website at pfaa.net.
The second holiday-themed concert from the Folk Sessions is A Victorian Christmas with John Doan. This show is scheduled for December 21, at Prescott’s Trinity Presby- terian and will be a live version of Doan’s Emmy Award nominated PBS television spe- cial. Award noms are nice, but what is really cool about this show is the range of antique instruments Doan brings in. By all accounts, his musicianship is top-notch. And honestly, how often do you get a chance to witness someone not only playing a harp guitar, but playing it really well? Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online from folksessions.com.
There is an awful lot of art going on in December, including a fabulous way to see some great work, do a little shopping and help support scholarships for local artists. The Mountain Artists Guild and Gallery (MAGG) will be hosting their 7th Annual Scholarship Auction on Saturday, December 8. The auction features a range of art includ- ing jewelry, sculpture, prints, paintings and functional art, as well as some seriously nifty gift baskets donated by local merchants who are also art supporters.
This event will feature a silent auction, art raffle, and a live auction. Filmer kewan- yama, one of Prescott’s most renowned lo- cal artists, has donated his acrylic on canvas board painting, Hopi_Ha hai eh Wuti (Grand- mother) Katsina, to this event. So here’s your chance to nab one of his pieces and support local arts to boot. Tickets are $25, but that donation also covers a souvenir wine glass, drink tickets and a whole slew of delicious hors d’oeuvres from Chef Bryan’s incredible Bryan’s Bistro. For more information or to buy tickets, call (928) 445-2510, visit their
website at moun-
tainartistsguild. org or just stop by the gallery at 228 N. Alar-
con St. in Prescott.
And that brings us to the absolute don’t-
you-DARE-miss-this event of the month. From 5:30 pm ‘til 8:30 pm on Friday, De- cember 7, the only place to be is downtown Prescott for the Acker Musical Showcase, or as locals call it, “Acker Night.” If you have never been to an Acker Night, you have re- ally missed out on the true heart of what makes this little mountain town special. This event is one of Prescott’s best-kept secrets, and it is very tempting to keep it that way. Ask a Prescottonian about Acker and chanc- es are that they have attended not just once, but multiple years. Ask a non-local, and they probably won’t have a clue what you are talking about.
So what the heck is Acker Night? Basically, the entire downtown area is transformed into a massive musical showcase featuring every flavor of music you can think of. And when I say “every flavor,” I mean every fla- vor. Opera, folk, blues, barbershop, jazz, pop, choral, marching band, you name it, chances are you’ll hear it during Acker Night.
Over 80 local businesses, ranging from galleries and shops to banks and bars, keep their doors open past normal business hours and play host to a musical guest. And they do it all to help Acker raise money for music scholarships for local kids. There is absolutely no tickets or admission fees, but you can’t turn around without bumping into a place to make a donation if the spirit so moves you.
But the real beauty of Acker Night is that it’s kind of like a massive block party. It is one of the only times that the entire downtown area becomes a strictly pedestrian district. Folks run into friends and neighbors they may not have seen for years and will stop in the middle of the street to catch up. It is weirdly magical to stop and buy fresh roast- ed chestnuts (!) while listening to the Salva- tion Army band play in front of the Buckey statue. The vibe is about as close to a Frank
Capra movie as you’re likely to get in the real world.
The good news is that there are tons of performers to check out. The bad news is that you only have one night to take it all in and there is no way to hear everything. Re- ally, there are two ways to get the most out of Acker: pick your “must-sees” or go with the flow and see where your feet take you.
If you’re the kind of person who has to have a plan, then grab a program from one of the many Acker volunteers floating about. Take a few minutes, pick your top four or five groups and plan your route. Even though Acker runs at a relaxed pace, it is actually a very short amount of time with an awful lot of choices. Also, be aware that some of the Acker Night regulars like Pandemonium Steel Drums are extremely popular. You may have to wait outside the Country Bank on Willis for a few minutes before you can get in to hear those fabulous drummers work their beach music magic.
The seat-of-the-pantsers out there will dig the low-key atmosphere and the simple fact that no matter where you go, you will hear something cool. If you don’t like it, no biggie! Just wander next door or across the street and you’ll find something completely differ- ent. The only drawback to this approach is that you may miss out on that left-handed euphonium player you’ve been meaning to check out.
Regardless of whether you are a planner or a pantser, it’s pretty much impossible not to have a good time at Acker Night. This is truly the one night of the year that Prescott fully lives up to its much-hyped slogan, “Ev- erybody’s hometown.” I double-dawg dare any of you Super Grinches out there to come to Acker Night and go home without your heart growing at least three sizes larger!
| angie Johnscon Schmit may at times be found yodeling with the locals up on Bucky’s Butte. slackerwriter@gmail.com
40 • DECEMBER 2012 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us