Irene Sperber

Started in November, the successful Wynwood Life blog is now emerging from the virtual world, transporting its all-things-Wynwood information site to the streets. A three day festival will grace the area for this inaugural occasion which promises Art, Music, Food & Fashion. Billed as a cultural street festival, Wynwood Life will bring its own color to splash across 6th Avenue between 22nd and 24th Streets. (main entrance on 23rd Street).

WWL co-founders Tony Albelo and Javi Zayas both come from an event planning background. We are looking forward to seeing how they wrangle this bad boy into shape for its first ever debut. I spoke with Albelo and Zayas and their team to get an overview of what is expected to transpire. Partnering with Miami Dade College, Wynwood Life will hit the streets April 25th to 27th. They took me through the all encompassing four facets of this rockin’ weekend.

ART: Artists will man their own 10’ x10’ tents; well over 100 will be available, stationed along 6th Avenue. (See website for participation application). Most will be South Florida artists but not exclusively. Many of Miami’s prominent graffiti artists will spray their way through the sturm und drang of their inner and outer selves live during the 3 day event. Well-known Trek 6 takes the reins as headline artist and creator of Wynwood Life Festival poster.

The first 300 poster purchasers will go home with a poster and a numbered brick from an aerosol art encrusted wall previously erected in his studio. (Now, who would not want their very own Trek6 brick from the event to present on their fireplace). A video of Trek6 creating this wall art will be available as an on-line animation via the website. Trek6 explains his festival art pieces: “The bonsai has become to me a symbol of concentration and life, from which the emitting speaker develops and projects color, life, beauty and the struggle to exist, as it turns and twist over the wire- torn sky of the industrial neighborhood.”

Trek 6 is no stranger to us. His powerful Marley mural graced the lobby of HistoryMiami during the Bob Marley exhibition last fall. This festival’s art curator will be Robert De Los Rios, co-founder of Wynwood Map, an organized documentation of local street art.

MUSIC: WWL organizers plan to have 20 different live performers on two stages throughout; one stage for music, one for art and fashion. Local musicians and DJs will be producing an eclectic sound happening, “from jazz to modern to original and current” with a “high quality sound”, shared the Wynwood Life founders. Think “the early days of The Grove,” (should you have been around all those many heady years ago) “but with a more nightlife scene.”

Expected are headline act Congolese-Belgian hip-hop hot shot Baloji & L’Orchestre De La Katuba kicking off the sounds at 8pm, Friday, April 25. I hear Baloji means “sorcerer,” so we better hoof on over there to hear this recent performer at NY’s Lincoln Center and Coachella. Kathryn Garcia, Executive Director of MDC Live Arts enthuses: “We can’t wait for Miami to discover Baloji’s rich musical universe. He is one of those rare talents that transcend borders and language through the sheer magnetism of his performances.”

Myriad bands and DJs will be performing throughout the weekend. Johann Torres is filling the shoes as program director.

FOOD: Vendors will be mainly from several of the yummy and varied restaurants of the area. Grab and go festival food will also be available.

FASHION: 15 Local Miami bloggers will grace the fashion stage on Saturday. Expect to see Kelly Saks of the popular Kelly’s Kloset blog site, as the fashion director overseeing this portion of the programming. Each model/blogger will be paired with a designer or clothing store on Saturday.

Tickets are $15 but there are many ways to score tickets for a nominal fee or perhaps free if that’s your price point. The first 1,000 followers @wynwoodlife are eligible. Follow them on Instagram or Twitter. Tag your photos with #wynwoodlife for a better chance at improving your good fortunes. Discount codes are accessible: Check out the website for all particulars at  www.wynwoodlife.com. If you are interested in participating in any way, please visit the website...there just might be a place for you if you hop in quick like a bunny.

WWL founder Tony Abelo informs us “the blog caught on fast....it’s a live version of what Wynwood is about.” I asked what take-away he hopes to accomplish with the festival: “To open Wynwood up to the greater community.” And to “build on the experience, hoping for an annual Wynwood Life Festival.”

For festival tickets:

Wynwood Life Cultural Street Festival
Friday: 5:00pm - 11;00pm
Saturday: 12:00pm - 11:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm - 11:00pm