FireFish Arts

FireFish Arts

Building a vibrant arts & culture community in downtown Lorain.

FireFish Festival 2023

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FireFish Arts Summer Workshops

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FireFish Festival 2023


The Eighth Annual FireFish Festival

FireFish Arts is pleased to announce that the Eighth Annual FireFish Festival will take place this year on Saturday, September 16th in downtown Lorain between 5th and 7th Street, on and off Broadway Avenue. Serving as the culmination and celebration of all FireFish Art’s programs in 2023, this always FREE event once again promises unique art installations, music, food, fun, fire – and the much anticipated and signature burning of the FireFish with its parade, pageantry, and performance.

This FREE annual themed festival takes place every September around the time of the full moon. With the theme of Transcending Dark and Light, artists, youth, and community members will explore the history, and engage with and interpret the duality and yin/yang nature of darkness and light.

NEW THIS YEARa youth, community, and artist-created Lantern Parade! The annual “Pied Piper-like” dusk parade is growing! This year it will feature a parade of lanterns created by youth, community members, and artists, alongside musicians, fire performers, and drummers, leading to the much anticipated Burning of the FireFish, taking place at sunset. Lantern workshops for all ages will take place throughout the summer in Lorain.

FireFish Festival Community Art Making – FireFish Finale Artist/Artistic Director Danny McNamara will arrive a week before the FireFish Festival, designing and building the FireFish with artists, youth, and community members.

Read more About the 2023 FireFish Festival.


Additional year-round programming leads to the much-anticipated festival and features arts programming with the Lorain community and local youth. Programming includes visual artists and performers from Lorain with the support of the FireFish Arts Program Board.

“While the FireFish Festival is the annual celebration of all of the work of FireFish Arts, the actual work of FireFish takes place year-round, bringing together Lorain artists, youth, and community members,” states Artistic Director Joan Perch.

 

All FireFish Arts programs are designed to bring outstanding arts programs and events to Lorain in partnership with Lorain community businesses, arts and creative partners, and the City of Lorain.

“Our goal is to work within the community to utilize the power of the arts to transform lives and this community,” says Board President Frank DeTillio. “It is becoming more and more understood that through creative placemaking, the arts and economic and civic development go hand-in-hand.”

 

Learn more about FireFish Arts year-round programs on the Programs & Events Page

Get Involved

VolunteerVolunteer

Join the community in creating the 2023 FireFish Festival experience! Help vendors and performers load in and out! Direct parking! Greet festival goers at the information table!

 Create Art

Artists, students, and volunteers can create art for the festival at any of our summer workshops. Artists including Daniel McNamara, the Artistic Director of the FireFish Finale, and many other local artists and community members will also be working during the weeks leading up to the festival building the FireFish and other art installations for the festival. These workshops will be open to the public. Please check back soon for more information on dates, times, and locations.


Food TruckSell Food

Full Menu Vendors
$200

Single Item Vendors
(i.e. ice cream, kettle corn)
$100

Food Vendor Application


VendorArtisan, Crafter, & Non-Profit Booth

Fee: $35

Booth Size: 10’ x 10’

We will only accept vendors that HANDCRAFT their products or create original pieces of artwork. Non-profits please use this application for your booth and list what will be at your booth.

Artisan Vendor Application


Performance Art

Music, Theater, Dance, Flow, Busker, and Street Performances

Performer Application Closed

 

FireFish Arts Summer Workshops

FireFish Arts Workshops

Gallery

FireFish Festival 2022

Ron Jantz FireFish Festival 2022 Gallery

Festival Prep

Photos shared by Rick Matos.


Festival Day

Photos shared by The Eagle Eye / Firelands Aerial


Fire It Up! Block Parties


The Alley Project


PULP: Fold, Rip, Draw, Print


Patterns of Time


FireFish Festival 2021


Broadway In Bloom & Waterfront Blooms

 


Start w/Art


Twin Flames