The following is a press release from an organization unaffiliated with Voice of OC. The views expressed here are not those of Voice of OC.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Madeleine Spencer, Festival Organizer, Boca de Oro
Phone: (714) 815-2653
Email: dhe.spencer@gmail.com
Downtown Santa Ana invites Authors to Take Over Their City
“Boca de Oro” festival brings 100+ Literary Artists for Downtown Santa Ana takeover
SANTA ANA, Ca — On Saturday March 4th, Downtown Santa Ana will be transformed into the Literary Capital of Orange County. Over a dozen art galleries, restaurants, historic buildings and secret spaces will double as houses of letters for literary fans to connect with local and regional writers.
“Our region is a wealth of writers and readers,” said Madeleine Spencer, festival organizer and downtown business leader. “We opened our downtown campus to celebrate local literati, and curators seized the opportunity.”
More than 100 local and visiting authors and artists took up the opportunity to showcase their work. Boca de Oro includes workshops, readings, panel discussions, open mics, performances, and thoughtful reflections. The event is free and open to the public with offerings that appeal to everyone.
For kids, daytime and early-evening activities range from bookbinding workshops and fabric painting to self-expression workshops. Santa Ana Unified School District is bringing over 500 students and faculty downtown to perform a wide variety of arts genres.
For fans of literature and poetry, Boca de Oro features readings, panel discussions, and open mics with acclaimed local and visiting authors, including Alan Tonkovich, Kevin Staneic, Ryan Gattis, Diana Tierney, Marytza Rubio, Eric Cocoletzi, Iris de Anda, Christina Chavez, Richard Bausch, James P. Blaylock, Douglas R. Dechow, Anna Leahy, Siri Suthatham Tveter, Con Safos, Marina Aguilera, Calvin Clausell, Mark Axelrod, Lisa Alvarez, Tom Zoellner, and many more.
“We are opening our Downtown to a literary convergence, where OC’s intelligentsia can recognize a warm welcome,” says Spencer of the festival. “I hope everyone takes advantage of this opening opportunity to share in the burgeoning art and literary scene in Orange County.”
For the rest of us, the Lit Fest is planned against the backdrop of Downtown Santa Ana’s monthly First Saturday Artwalk in which artists, restaurants, and public spaces come alive with music, crowds and conviviality.
Leonard Cohen fans will not want to miss this. Santa Ana Sites, a local arts presenter, is bringing Perla Batalla, Leonard Cohen’s long-time back-up singer, for an intimate performance during Boca de Oro. Perla will perform her favorite Cohen songs in English and Spanish and tell stories that celebrate the artist’s life in Orange County’s oldest church. (Note: this concert is the only “for-pay” element of the festival at $10 student/$18 general admission. All other features are free.)
Learn more about the event schedule and program online at bocadeoro.org.
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