First Friday looks at love

Love will be in the air at First Friday, the city's monthly arts and culture festival. The theme, appropriate for February, is the art of romance.

Organizers want to clarify, however, that love isn't always between lovers. Bring your kids, friends and whoever else can appreciate the bevy of vendors, artists and musicians at this event that has evolved over the years into a fun, organized means of encouraging downtown commerce.

"It's however anyone relates to love," says Nichole Hester, First Friday director of engagement. "Whether it's love of art or love of dancing."

There's a stage set up every month where kids flock for break dancing, but there will also be a ballroom dancing station in The Hub from 5 to 10 p.m. Visitors can watch demos, get pointers and sign up for future lessons. Classical guitarist Esteban will also be in The Hub with Teresa Joy on violin. Between the flamenco-style music and the dancing, this should be the prime spot for couples Friday.

For folks going solo, or with a group of friends, the Hop-Scotch Party from 5 to 10 p.m. might be a draw. Sponsored by "Delivering Happiness," the Tony Hsieh book that turned into a charitable movement, it's exactly what it implies, a bunch of people skipping and hopping for prizes. Most folks haven't done anything remotely close to that since grade school. The idea is to encourage a carefree environment where big laughs and silly behavior are welcome.

For the real children, the ones younger than 18, there's the KidZone, which is sort of a mini First Friday, according to Hester. This month, animator Jon Rowe will be on hand to give future artists some tips on how to perfect their craft.

Performances by RagTag Entertainment are also planned, but one of the real highlights for the KidZone is courtesy of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas. Here, children can paint furniture, without consequences, that will later be displayed in Neiman Marcus windows.

Across from the KidZone is Green Street.

"People walk away from here with information on how to reduce their carbon footprint," Hester says.

And they have fun in the process. This area started as just a recycling tree, where people wrote different ideas and suggestions on how to live earth-friendly. There were solar-powered phone charging stations, too. It was such a hit, they expanded the effort to include local ecominded businesses. People can listen to acoustic music and recycle ink cartridges here.

For anyone who hasn't visited First Friday in a couple of years, the most noticeable difference will be the organization. There's a welcome station, two information tents, lots of security and a shuttle that drops people in the heart of the festival.

It's the same artsy vibe as before, but everything has a designated place now. And, there are even more artisans and performers.

"It's all about the community," Hester says, "and it's free. I can't say that enough."

First Friday takes place from 5 to 10 p.m. the first Friday of every month in the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas. The area is bordered by East Charleston Boulevard on the north, Imperial Avenue on the south, Main Street on the west and Fourth Street on the east. Most of the activities take place along Casino Center Boulevard, California Street, Colorado Avenue and Third Street.

Contact Xazmin Garza at xgarza@reviewjournal.com or
702-383-0477. Follow her on Twitter @startswithanx.