43rd Street is transforming into the Third Annual Public Arts Festival. Previous festivals, Museum of the Moon and MarsFest, were themed around celestial bodies, and this year’s is no different. Fantastic Planet, named for the series of works by Australian artist Amanda Parer on display at the festival, will run from Oct. 13 to 15.
Fantastic Planet is a free community event sponsored by ODU, the ODU Educational Foundation, and the Brock Foundation, with at least 18 ODU departments partnering with the festival for performances and activities. Each day, from 6 to 10 p.m., 43rd Street will be blocked off, allowing the public to freely walk the street and see what the festival has to offer.
On Oct. 12, people can catch a free screening of the 1973 “Fantastic Planet” that inspired Parer’s sculptures at the Barry Art Museum during their Coffee & Contemporary Arts hour, starting at 12:30 p.m.
The festival itself will begin at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 with a performance from the ODU Marching Band. The evening will also feature a GSA dance performance at 7 p.m., a costume contest at 8 p.m. (form to enter can be found here), and a performance from DJ Wizard and Charles Rasputin at 9 p.m.
The second day of the festival will start with performances from the steel drums Rhythm Project at 6 p.m., ODU student rock band Moonsmoke at 7 p.m., ODU Dance at 8 p.m., and Karacell at 9 p.m.
The final day of the festival will feature the Diehn Chorale at 6 p.m., ODU Theatre at 7 p.m., and ODU Writers in Community at 8 p.m., closing out with the Sunnyside Collective’s showcase at 9 p.m.
In addition to these scheduled events, all three days will feature numerous live performances and activities across Monarch Way from various ODU departments, including ODU Fashion and Merchandising, ODU Biology, ODU’s Society of Physics Students, ODU Libraries, and the ODU Graphic Design Club. These activities will be divided into three zones that represent a different focus of environmentalism.
The Environmental Corridor, located on the West 43rd Street outdoor exhibit area between Monarch Way and Hampton Boulevard, focuses on conservation and ways people can adapt their lifestyles to be more eco-friendly.
The Planet STE[A]M section will showcase hands-on activities focusing on science, technology, and engineering through art mediums and displays of virtual reality games exploring the earth, sea, and space. This section will be located in the Barry Art Museum.
The last section, Fantastic Festivities, will be on 43rd Street. Festival-goers can obtain merchandise and engage with entertainment from a wide variety of artists from both ODU departments and the general Norfolk area. This section will also have food trucks, ice cream from Sundae Scoop, popcorn from the Cub Scout’s Pack 700, and the festival’s official, custom-made beer: “Pack It Out Pilsner” by CoVa Brewing.
The Barry Art Museum’s hours will also shift during the duration of the festival: they will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 13 to 15 and remain closed during the day. Regular hours will resume the following week.
For more information on Fantastic Planet, go here.
