UNCA Student Groups to Host Community First Festival

Where can you find pizza dough throwing demonstrations, salsa dancing, hip-hop music and voter registration booths all together? Try the inaugural UNC Asheville Community First Festival.

Nineteen UNCA student groups have joined with area businesses and organizations to host the Community First Festival from noon-8 p.m. Saturday, March 27, on the UNCA Quad. The festival will feature music, games, information booths and food for the entire family. Rain locations are UNCA’s Carmichael Hall and Humanities Lecture Hall lobbies. Events are free and open to the public.

"All the student groups hope that this first Community First Festival will establish a tradition that helps build more connections between the UNCA and Asheville-area communities," said Sean McDonald, UNCA Student Organizations Council coordinator. "We are proud to work with so many great community organizations to create a fun and collaborative event."

Music will be a central focus of the festival. The lineup includes the a capella group All Girls Staff, Latin fusion music by Obbligato, R&B tunes by WestSound and hip-hop by Delinquent Habits. Between acts Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company will hold demonstrations of dough-throwing and Dance Company Salseros 828 will conduct salsa dance demonstrations. Other festival highlights include voter registration, finger-painting, games, crafts and bi-lingual story time.

Food will be provided by Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, Pig on the Run BBQ, Sweet Heaven, Texas Roadhouse and Sodexho Campus Services.

Campus sponsors are Alliance, Alpha Xi Delta, Amateur Radio Club, Amnesty International, Anime Club, Ballroom and Swing Club, Better Asheville Recycling Coalition, Black Student Association, El Proyecto de Estudiantes en la Comunidad Hispana, Gamma Phi Beta, Hispanic Outreach and Learning Awareness, Humanities Student Association, Nucleus, P’Bobie, Sigma Nu, Student Government Association, UNCA Outdoors, Women Acting in Liberation and Young Democrats.

Community partners are 1000 Villages, Curbside Management, El Eco, Helpmate, National Organization of Women, On the Wall, Outdoor Xposure, Rainbow Wedding Network, WNC Amateur Radio Society and WNC Ballroom Dance School.

For more information, call festival organizer Sean McDonald at 828/232-2417.

Media Contacts:

• Sean McDonald, UNCA Student Organizations Council coordinator, 828/232-2417
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526