Panoply honoring first responders Friday

Panoply organizers are honoring first responders at this year’s event.

The festival opens on April 27, the one-year anniversary of the tornado outbreak that devastated the state.

All first responders will be allowed free admission into the festival.

“We were very closely involved with first responders,” said Julie Hornstein, marketing and development manager. “It’s something we needed to do to recognize them.”

During April of last year, Panoply donated generators, fuel, lights and other resources to help in the relief effort.

“We felt like we were a part of it in a way,” Hornstein said.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama are sponsoring.

“They [Blue Cross], too, were pretty bus that week,” she said. “They feel like it’s an especially appropriate thing for them to be sponsoring.”

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama donated $500,000 to recovery efforts.

“Our company is very grateful to first responders for their hard work immediately following the April 2011 storms and in the days and weeks that followed,” said Mike Watkins, district sales manager for Blue Cross in a press release.

Panoply’s opening night programming includes performances on all six festival stages, which will feature seventeen different acts during the evening including Huntsville’s Hometown Music Heroes Microwave Dave, Ken Watters, Phil Weaver, and Ingrid Von Spakovsky. Festivalgoers will also enjoy free children’s arts activities, international exhibits and hands-on crafts in Panoply’s Global Village, and twenty-one food vendors.  Panoply opening night festivities will conclude with fireworks at 9:00 p.m.

Advance tickets for the general public to the Panoply Arts Festival are available at North Alabama Regions Bank branches. Daily admission to Panoply is $5.00 and weekend Panopasses are $10 for admission to activities all weekend. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

More information about The Arts Council