Live @ the Lakefront 2012!

Are you ready, Lake Charles? The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana is partnering with the City of Lake Charles to bring the Lake Area a brand new music festival that will celebrate our downtown identity and the newly renovated Lakefront Promenade. Live @ the Lakefront will be held at the Arcade Amphitheater at the Civic Center on three consecutive Fridays on March 16th, 23rd, and 30th, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Festival-goers can spread a blanket on the amphitheater's grassy hill and listen to great music with the lakeshore scenery and cool weather as the perfect backdrop. Live @ the Lakefront will act as a fundraiser for the Arts Council with the proceeds from all Coke, Budweiser, and Miller sales going towards the Arts Council's efforts to support the arts in Southwest Louisiana.

Bands and musicians from the local music scene and from across the state representing almost every musical genre will take the stage by storm each Friday evening. The line-up includes: Certain Satellites (alternative/new wave), Wendy Colonna (acoustic/soul), and Twangsters Union (Southern rock/country) kicking off the festival on March 16th; Bobcat (indie rock) and Grammy-nominated Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys (Cajun) on March 23rd; and Iberville High Life (blues) and City Heat (jazz/R&B) closing the festival on March 30th.

"We have an exciting opportunity to give the Lake Area a great music festival that will showcase our local and regional music as well as our local art scene," stated Matt Young, Executive Director of the Arts Council. "We are proud to work with the City of Lake Charles and our concert sponsors Isle of Capri Casino, JPMorgan Chase, and Tobacco Free Living to bring our community a music festival that can become our own JazzFest or Festival International."

The festival will be free to the public, and it will also showcase local artists, children's activities, vendors, and Lake Area food booths. Live @ the Lakefront is co-presented by the Arts Council and the City of Lake Charles and is made possible by Deep South Productions and generous sponsorships from Isle of Capri Casino Hotel, JPMorgan Chase, and Tobacco Free Living. Event partners include Townsquare Media, Gator 99.5, Coca-Cola, 107JAMZ, Cajun Radio, KISSFM, 92.9 The Lake, the Porch Coffee House & Cafe, American Press, Lake Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, Knight Media, Southwest Daily News, the Jambalaya News, Lagniappe, Thrive Magazine, KPLC, Beverage Sales, Southwest Beverage, and Redfish Rental.

For details about Live @ the Lakefront, call the Arts Council office at 439-ARTS or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.