Lexington, KY - With the launch of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games a little more than eight months away, the long-awaited details of the city's simultaneous Spotlight Lexington celebration are starting to fall into place.
Spotlight Lexington, the city's free 17-day festival to be held from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10, is aimed at leveraging the city's role as host to the international equestrian event in order to highlight the entertainment, arts and other offerings of Lexington and Kentucky for locals and visitors alike.
"It is a time for Lexington and all its citizens - locally and regionally - to celebrate the games," said Krista Greathouse, the LFUCG liaison to the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
Three downtown staging areas have been designated for the festival. The initial plans call for the festival's main stage to be located at Courthouse Plaza along Barr Street, with additional events planned for both Cheapside Park and Triangle Park.
Spotlight Lexington organizers are working with the WEG Foundation to plan three downtown ceremonies to honor and celebrate medal winners throughout the festival. The intent is for the downtown celebrations to be more than a repeat of the official medal awarding ceremony, and to serve as an opportunity for Lexington to show its hospitality and appreciation to the winning athletes, Greathouse said.
There are also plans for a live telecast of the games at various times throughout the event on a large video screen to be mounted at the Courthouse Plaza location.
Spotlight Lexington represents the largest festival ever organized for the city of Lexington, Greathouse said.
"This is the most ambitious festival Lexington has ever produced," Greathouse said.
"And there are two sides to this. Sure, we want to educate the world about the talent we have here, but I think there's an opportunity to educate our own."
So far, the organizers have announced four scheduled entertainment acts for the event, including actress Laura Bell Bundy, who is launching a new music career; J.D. Crowe and the New South; Lula Washington and the Louisville-based River City Drum Corp; and the Lexington Singers. Organizers are looking for variety in their entertainment bookings for the festival, with acts that will gear their performances to a wide range of ages and interests. All the entertainment acts also will have a tie to Kentucky, according to Greathouse, who hopes the event will shed light on the state's homegrown talent for visitors and locals alike.
The festival will offer opportunities for approved food vendors to set up shop during events at Cheapside Park and Courthouse Plaza on weekday evenings starting at 5 p.m. and on weekends starting at noon. The event will also feature a "Kentucky Market," which will allow up to 50 juried artisans and crafts vendors to sell their wares at Triangle Park Thursdays to Sundays from roughly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the festival.
Special arrangements are being made to offer added hospitality to WEG athletes and visiting media professionals. The Patron's Club, sponsored by Kentucky Utilities, will be located on part of Short Street at Courthouse Plaza to cater to event sponsors, athletes competing in the games and other special guests. A media center will also be established downtown to serve as host for visiting journalists.
The festival has set a sponsorship goal of $800,000 to pay for the event, which will cost roughly $1 million and be funded entirely with private dollars. So far, sponsors have stepped up to contribute roughly half of that goal, or $400,000.
For local companies looking to stay up to date on Spotlight Lexington plans, festival organizers have started to distribute a monthly business-ready checklist entitled "Get your 'Games' Face On" to offer tips and keep businesses aware of upcoming deadlines and event information. A glossy, 96-page event guide will also be produced for the festival, and businesses will have the opportunity to promote their planned events, including live music, theater and art exhibits, with free listings in the publication's events calendar. Businesses will also have the opportunity to advertise in the event guide, which is sponsored by Smiley Pete Publishing (this magazine's parent company) and will be distributed throughout downtown, as well as at additional area business and sponsor locations.
Eventually, Greathouse said, the hope is for the Spotlight Lexington festival to become a marketing tool that can be used to promote the city on a more regular basis, possibly in conjunction with other special events such as the Breeder's Cup or the Sweet Sixteen.
"The goal is for it to become its own arts festival that will reside within the mayor's office," Greathouse said. "Let's take advantage of those opportunities to toot our own horn."
For more information on the Spotlight Lexington festival, check the Web site at www.spotlightlexky.com.
Susan Baniak is the features editor for Business Lexington, this magazine's sister publication.