The Orange County Department of Education and VSA Orange County will present the 40th annual VSA Festival on Saturday, April 30.
Hosted by MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, the festival honors the artistic accomplishments of individuals with disabilities throughout Orange County, showcasing their creativity in writing, dance, music, theater and visual arts. If you’ve never been, it’s a fun day for the family.
Following a 10:45 a.m. performance by local band Calle4Combo, actor William Allen Young will emcee the event’s opening ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. Young, who appears in the television series “Code Black,” will introduce musicians, actors and dancers who will perform vignettes based on this year’s theme, “Soaring to Greater Heights.”
The festival will feature additional performances until 4 p.m., along with free activities for children at stations throughout the mall, including kite construction, face painting, storytelling, jewelry making, bubble art and more. A large art exhibit is scheduled to remain on display at MainPlace through May 15.
The VSA Festival is sponsored by the Orange County Department of Education, VSA California of Orange County, Arts Orange County, Imagination Celebration and the Council for Exceptional Children, Chapter No. 188 in Orange County.
All activities are free and open to the public, and MainPlace Mall is located at 2800 N. Main St. in Santa Ana.
For additional information, or to volunteer, contact Colleen Hoffman at cshoffman@ocde.us or Phyllis Berenbeim, VSA Coordinator, at pberenbeim@ocde.us.
And here’s a brief video of last year’s opening ceremony, courtesy of OCDE’s Media Services team.