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Youth Day, Festival Day, Booker T: A weekend planned by the Black Arts & Cultural Center

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Dani Lewis and her daughter Asha
Cara Lieurance

The 37th annual Black Arts Festival will be held Saturday, July 8 in Bronson Park in Kalamazoo. The Black Arts & Cultural Center's Dani Lewis (and her daughter Asha) joined Cara Lieurance to talk about the free festival and surrounding events.

Lewis, who is also a visual artist, talks about how she was recruited to become program director after working closely with the BACC on previous events. She helped plan a Youth Day for Friday, Jul 7 at the Douglass Community Association, filled with art, activities, food and music for kids provided by the BACC and 16 youth-based organizations.

On festival day, Bronson Park will be packed corner-to-corner with information booths, retail vendors offering arts and crafts, jewelry, body products, clothing and more, and a lineup of over 20 entertainers who will perform from 11 am - 8 pm.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend Booker T. Jones takes the stage at the Kalamazoo State Theatre at 7 pm for a free concert presented by the BACC, the State Theatre and The Gilmore. It is sold out.

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Cara Lieurance is the local host of NPR's All Things Considered on 1021 WMUK and covers local arts & culture on Let's Hear It on 89.9 Classical WMUK weekday mornings at 10 - 11 am.