What started as a single-day festival to showcase Sacramento art in its many forms morphed to a five-day festival in Downtown and Midtown Sacramento that begins with a street festival, continues with a fashion show and is capped by a two-day music festival featuring acts such as Imagine Dragons, Girl Talk and local performers.
The event runs from Sept. 4-8, 2013, and kicks off with a street festival in Midtown on 20th Street between J and K streets on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
As with last year, an architectural exhibit will be a highlight of the event, which also includes vendor booths, art and other attractions.
“We will transform the street and showcase people in the community who have a passion for being creative,” said Clay Nutting, one of the event organizers.
On Thursday, a music show will feature multitude of area bands – some of which haven’t performed together in years – Wallpaper, Mr. Metaphor and An Angle.
Friday’s fashion show in the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria brings in well-known fashion names, but Nutting said it really shows off the local talent behind the scenes that’s required to put on a show of that size.
The most anticipated portion of the event, however, is the two-day music festival in Cesar Chavez Plaza in Downtown Sacramento.
A large architectural piece made of cardboard was popular at last year's event and allowed people to interact with it. Nutting said this year, it will be taken to a new level.
Headliners Imagine Dragons and Girl Talk might be two of the most recognizable bands playing in the festival, but Nutting said it’s not just the headliners that will be standouts.
“The lineup up and down – even if people don’t know all of them – even the ones not on people’s radar are incredible,” he said. “Launch is equal parts about discovery and taking risks. Who are you going to discover? Who will be your new favorite artist?”
Tickets are still available for the events, and the street festival on Wednesday is free. For more information and tickets, visit Launch Sacramento’s website.
