Metro

Arts, Beats & Eats

Popular Labor Day weekend festival
has multiple Jewish connections.

Robyn Gorell
Special to the Jewish News

A

rts, Beats & Eats — Festival of
Hope, always one of this region's
summer highlights, boasts of
several Jewish connections this year. Some
event organizers are Jewish; kosher food
will be available from Milk & Honey cater-
ing and part of the proceeds will go to 13
local charitable entities, two of which are
Jewish.
Among those with
Jewish ties involved in
organizing the event
are Jon Witz, event pro-
ducer; Lisa Konikow,
co-director of the Health
Plus Fine Arts Fair;
Maury Okun, a key cul-
/ 4)
Jon Witz
tural adviser to the fes-
tival; and Marla Swartz,
who booked local music
bands. Even some
musical performers are
Jewish.
This is the first year
that Arts, Beats & Eats is
charging a $2 admission
fee.
It is collaborating
Maury Okun
with local charities that
are contributing assistance with volunteers,
marketing efforts and on-site activation.
After the Arts, Beats & Eats Foundation
offsets costs of operating the event, remain-
ing revenues from the admission fees
will be divided between those participat-
ing organizations. Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and Farmington Hills-
based JARC are two of the recipients.
"Members of the Jewish community
play a major role in planning this out-
standing, family-friendly event, which
attracts visitors from a wide area of
Michigan and surrounding states" blitz
said. "We've added kosher food to the
festival's diverse cuisine to draw more
local families. Having Federation and
JARC benefit financially from the festival
at a time when our area is experiencing
economic challenges is an added bonus."
Witz has grown his business, Jon Witz &
Associates, from a small promoter of con-
certs and clubs to southeastern Michigan's

16

September 3

a

2009

A scene from last year's Arts, Beats and Eats festival

premier producer of special events. He has
created several signature events, including
Arts, Beats & Eats, which he co-founded
in 1998 with Oakland County Executive L.
Brooks Patterson.
Konikow is involved in every aspect of
producing the Juried Fine Arts Fair, which
is rated as one of the best in the country.
Her responsibilities include the design and
placement of the artist application, selec-
tion of panelists and facilitation of the
jury process, print and live promotion, site
layout and artist logistics.
The "Beats" include sounds from nearly
every musical genre, with more than 100
local bands and entertainers performing
ages. Swartz is an independent booking
agent, Eldar Entertainment, and works
with Witz & Associates on Arts, Beats &
Eats on locating and coordinating the
musical talent.

One performer with
a Jewish background is
jazz piano player and
singer Jesse Palter, a
successful young musi-
cian from Farmington
Hills who is making her
name nationally.
Jesse Palter
Serving as a key
cultural adviser for the
festival's "Beats" is Maury Okun, who has
helped provide musicians and coordinate
performances by the Eisenhower Dance
Ensemble and the Detroit Chamber
Winds. Okun is the executive director of
both groups as well as the Great Lakes
Chamber Orchestra.
An exciting new addition to the
festival's "Eats" component will definitely
appeal to observant Jewish visitors. For
the first time, they can partake of some

of the food offered there because kosher
food will be available, catered by Matt
Prentice.

Robyn Gorrell is a vice president and Marx

Layne & Co., Farmington Hills.

How To Go:

Arts, Beats and Eats — Festival of
Hope: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Sept.
4-Sunday, Sept. 6; 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 7. Downtown Pontiac.
$2 per person — monies raised will
benefit 13 area non-profit orga-
nizations, including the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
and JARC. Juried art show; free
concerts. Some kosher food; no food
more than $5. Parking $5-$8. More
information: www.artsbeatseats.com .