Several months in the planning, Arcadia Project announces the first installation in its series, “Arcadia Presents,” a series of street entertainment programs designed for Shop and Dine Out Downtown.
The new series begins Saturday, June 14 at 6 p.m. in front of the former Dixie Theater at 125 E. Beverley Street, at the intersection of Beverley Street and North Market Street. The series will include local and regional musicians performing acoustically and two dance groups. The series will continue several Saturdays each month through October 2025.
“We wanted to share with everyone a sample of some local and regional talent for everyone to enjoy. We are working hard on our capital fundraising campaign so that we can start construction on the interior of our building,” Elizabeth Respess, Board President for The Arcadia Project, said.
In addition to hosting entertainment in front of the theater, volunteers will be on hand for tours of the building and updates on the project starting one half hour before each presentation.
The current lineup for “Arcadia Presents” is:
June 14 @ 6 p.m.: The Pete Echols Trio will play Americana and Old Time Tunes. The trio features Pete Echols on guitar and mandolin, Joe Showalter on fiddle, and Andrew Green on banjo.
June 21 @ 7 p.m.: The Arcadia Project co-founder Thomas Wagner & Caravanserai Music will play classical music and tunes from other genres, some of which have been featured at their recent concerts.
June 28 @ 6 p.m. The William Hayes Duo are William Hayes (accordion) and Pete Echols (bass), who look forward to performing Americana, Jazz, Country and Folk music.
July 12 @ 6 p.m.: The Shenandoah Latin Dance Company, based in Staunton, will be the first dance ensemble to be part of the series. They specialize in offering a variety of dance styles, including salsa, merengue, bachata, timba and cumbia, among other styles.
August 2 @ 6 p.m.: Smith Avenue, based in Harrisonburg, is a husband and wife duo offering original songs and genre-bending covers. Arcadia welcomes Graham McDowell and Cameron Church.
August 16 @ 6 p.m.: The Cotton Hill Band, which originated in Roanoke, features David Jessee (banjo and guitar), Bill Spahr (guitar), Annie Spahr (bass) and Kevin Rice (mandolin and harmonica). They play a variety of bluegrass and Americana music.
August 23 @ 6 p.m.: PBJ Acoustic, including band members Amy Lessley, Gregory Culpen, and Sam Lessley, plays an eclectic mix of acoustic covers spanning several decades.
October 11 @ 5 p.m.: The Blue Ridge Irish Music School (BRIMS) will bring their dancers to perform. The school specializes in traditional Irish dance in soft shoe, step dance and Cape Breton style dance, among other genres.
October 18 @ 3 p.m.: In time for the Halloween season, The American Shakespeare Center will present a workshop on how to make theatrical blood. Please join and learn the skill and meet with members of ASC to learn more about what they do.
Admission is free for all presentations, however at-will donations will go either to the performers in their gratuity jars or to the Arcadia Project to be used toward renovations inside the theater.
The Arcadia Project is a nonprofit cultural initiative based in downtown Staunton, and dedicated to revitalizing the historic Dixie Theater at 125 E. Beverley Street. Established in 2019, the project aims to transform the long-vacant theater into a dynamic, mixed-use cultural center that fosters community connection through film, music, education and the arts, where all visitors can Bring Who They Are.
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Rebecca Barnabi
