Little Rock sets LITFest Oct. 7-9, one month ahead of general election
City news release:
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced today the city’s newest festival, LITFest, will take place October 7 – 9, 2022, in downtown Little Rock. The three-day event will highlight the City of Little Rock through live music, cultural programming and panelists on various topics from technology to economic growth. The festival is an investment rooted in joining business, technology, music and arts into a collective event to unite and celebrate Little Rock, while promoting the City’s progress and its diversity. “Not only will this be a time for Little Rock residents to gather, this is also a citywide homecoming,” Mayor Scott said. “Keeping with that theme, there will be a special emphasis on spotlighting current and former Little Rock residents who are recognized as leaders in their fields to participate as performers and panelists.” The City has entered into a contract with event liaison Think Rubix to co-produce LitFest. Think Rubix is a public affairs firm that focuses on social, cultural and brand innovation. Think Rubix’s background includes extensive experience in event management ranging from presidential inauguration events and national conventions to a 15,000-attendee concert event in Detroit. “Think Rubix is excited to partner with the City to bring a new and exciting event to Little Rock,” said Think Rubix Vice Principal Durwin Lairy. “We look forward to providing a fantastic and diverse event which will aim to unite the City through a fun, educational and cultural experience that celebrates the collective appreciation of Little Rock.” For more information, or to sign up to become a festival sponsor, visit www.myLITFest.com. Follow @mylitfest on Twitter for more information and updates.
Think Rubix is the firm the mayor’s former chief of staff, Charles Blake, joined, while this project was cooking. It was the only firm to submit a proposal for the $45,000 contract to promote and raise money for the event. The mayor has said Blake had nothing to do with the project.
it will give the mayor three days of public media exposure (I’m guessing he’ll be appearing) four weeks before the Nov. 8 general election. Of course, there’s also a risk that the event could produce hiccups. Some City Board members have questions about potential city costs of staging the festival.
PS: The event will be held at multiple locations including the River Market and Ninth Street, a spokesman said.
- Weekend Events
- Bucket Lists
- Face Behind the Place
- Restaurants
- Server Says
- Health Care
- Mental Health Guide
- Featured Homes
- Home Resources
- Interior Design(ers)
- Murder Mystery
- Men of Distinction 2023
- Ask an Expert
- Business About You
- Faces of Arkansas
- Get to Know AY's Best
- Heather's Favorite Things
- Heather's Publisher Letter
- People Behind Your News
- Arkansas Backstories
- Places to Stay
- Spring Travel Guide
- Travel Guide
- AY's Cutest Dog Contest
- Nominate AY's 2023 Best Women in Health Care
- Nominate AY's 2023 Intriguing Women
- Where to find AY
- Submit Event / Press Release / Info
- Subscribe to AY Print Magazine
- Subscribe to AY's newsletter
- Custom Publications
- Digital Issues
- Intriguing Women 2022
- Men of Distinction 2022
First Annual LITfest Promises a Cool Return to the Rock
Posted by John Callahan | Jul 5, 2022 | Art & Entertainment , AY News , Blog , Driving Arkansas , Latest News from AY , Out & About
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced today the dates of the first-ever LITfest, Little Rock’s newest festival: October 7-9th. LITfest is meant to be a celebration of Little Rock, featuring not only live music by local musicians but also “cultural programming and panelists on various topics from technology to economic growth.” Mayor Scott has called it a “homecoming,” saying that there will be a strong emphasis on spotlighting not just current but also former Little Rock residents, thus the full name for the festival, LITfest, A Return to the Rock. LIT refers to the slang term meaning cool, not as a shortening of literature, as the Arkansas Literature Festival was renamed the Six Bridges Festival back in 2020.
Think Rubix, an event liaison specializing in social, cultural, and brand innovation were selected back in February to coordinate the festival, being the only company that responded to the city’s solicitation for RFQs (Request for Qualifications). “Think Rubix is a good fit for what we wanted for this first-class festival,” said Mayor Scott: “A team with extensive event management and promotion experience.” The company’s previous experience includes presidential inauguration events, national conventions, and a concert in Detroit with 15,000 attendees. Former chief-of-staff to Mayor Scott, Charles Blake, was hired shortly after the city’s selection of Think Rubix, though Blake had already retired from the city the previous month and therefore had nothing to do with Think Rubix’s selection process.
“Think Rubix is excited to partner with the City to bring a new and exciting event to Little Rock,” said Think Rubix Vice Principal Durwin Lairy. “We look forward to providing a fantastic and diverse event which will aim to unite the City through a fun, educational and cultural experience that celebrates the collective appreciation of Little Rock.” To keep up with new information or apply to be a sponsor for the festival, visit www.myLITFest.com and follow @mylitfest on Twitter.
Read Also: Heaping Spoonful Podcast Pours Praise on Arkansas Food Scene
About The Author
John Callahan
Related posts.
Fantastic Filet at Allsopp & Chapple
June 17, 2021
Murder Mystery: Murder at Horseshoe Lake, Part 1
June 3, 2021
Food Bites: The Ohio Club, The Bauhaus Biergarten, Loma, Conifer & More
August 16, 2022
Top 10 Things To Do
March 31, 2017
Digital Issue
Recent Video
Recent Posts
Instagram Feed
Get a subscription to ay magazine.
Media Release
City of Little Rock Public Relations (501) 371-6801
Contact: Aaron Sadler | (o) 501 371 6801 | [email protected]
LITTLE ROCK – LITFest, a multi-day festival of the best of Little Rock’s music, arts, business, and culture, announced plans for events across the City of Little Rock beginning Thursday, Oct. 6. The inaugural LITFest, themed A Return to the Rock, will include art and music performances as well as a business and technology summit. Axon , a leading software and technology company for public safety, is the festival’s presenting sponsor.
“LITFest is an exciting, new way to celebrate Little Rock,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “We are thankful for our sponsors and excited about our participants, and we look forward to a festival that features the diversity of our city and unites the community through multiple programs at multiple venues.”
Concerts featuring alternative-rock band Lucero and Funk-soul band BoomBox have already been announced as part as LITFest’s partnership with local music venue The Hall. American Idol and The Voice alumnus Keia Johnson will also be performing at Trois on Thursday, Oct. 6, as part of LITfest activities.
The Friday, Oct. 7, schedule kicks off with an Equity in Economics Summit that afternoon at the Robinson Center, followed by a River Market block party featuring live music performances at some of downtown’s best venues. A diverse group of bands and artists, selected from more than 100 who applied to participate in this year’s festival, represent some of Arkansas’s best talent.
A Family TECH Fest and a food truck festival led by Ceci’s Chicken & Waffles are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 along historic Ninth Street and at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. A TECH Summit will be held at The Hall focusing on topics such as innovative municipal government, public safety technology, and the business of sports, while an outdoor stage on Ninth Street will offer a variety of performances and entertainment all day.
“LITFest’s unique lineup of events offers something for everyone,” said Durwin Lairy, vice principal at Think Rubix, the city’s event liaison and festival organizer. “From family events to diverse music, local food and guest panelists, it will be a true celebration of Little Rock.”
LITFest events are free to the public with the exception of the musical performances at The Hall.
The festival entertainment and panels will be announced next week.
Learn more about LITFest at www.myLITfest.com or follow the festival at @mylitfest on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced today the city’s newest festival, LITFest, will take place October 7 – 9, 2022, in downtown Little Rock. The three-day event will highlight the City...
A literary festival usually features a variety of presentations and readings by authors, as well as other events, delivered over a period of several days, with the primary objectives of promoting the authors' books and fostering a love of literature and writing.
LITfest is meant to be a celebration of Little Rock, featuring not only live music by local musicians but also “cultural programming and panelists on various topics from technology to economic growth.”
Updated: Jul 6, 2022 / 05:17 PM CDT LITTLE ROCK, Ark – There is a new party coming to the Capital City this summer, and organizers say it is going to be lit! Mayor Frank Scott announced this week that the inaugural LITFest is planned for October 7 to 9 in downtown Little Rock.
LITTLE ROCK – LITFest, a multi-day festival of the best of Little Rock’s music, arts, business, and culture, announced plans for events across the City of Little Rock beginning Thursday, Oct. 6. The inaugural LITFest, themed A Return to the Rock, will include art and music performances as well as a business and technology summit.