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Fine weather, fine art: Fiesta kicks off under sunny skies

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Lake Fest Street Fair set for Aug. 3 in Harveys Lake Borough

<p>They&#8217;ve played in New York&#8217;s subway, and in some 25 countries around the world.</p><p>On Saturday you&#8217;ll be able to hear Lucky Chops in downtown Wilkes-Barre, for free, when the band brings its brassy funk sound &#8212; provided by trombone and trumpet, tenor sax and tuba and such &#8212; to the city&#8217;s 64th annual Fine Arts Fiesta.</p><p>&#8220;It will be exciting; they have a great story, &#8221; Fiesta executive director Brian Benedetti said, predicting the Fiesta crowd will thoroughly enjoy the headliner act, whose members have been playing together since they were students at Manhattan&#8217;s Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music &amp; Art and Performing Arts.</p><p>Lucky Chops is scheduled to perform on the Fiesta&#8217;s main stage at 8 p.m. Saturday.</p><p>Earlier Saturday, another highlight of the main stage schedule is the Kulu Mele African Dance &amp; Drum Ensemble from Philadelphia, who will perform at 1 p.m. &#8220;They are such a dynamic group,&#8221; Benedetti said. &#8220;They have so much energy.&#8221;</p><p>The Fine Arts Fiesta also gives local performers &#8212; from school orchestras and choruses to dance ensembles &#8212; a chance to shine.</p><p>The schedule includes:</p><p><strong>MAY 17, Main Stage</strong></p><p><strong>10 a.m.</strong> Wyoming Valley West Middle School Orchestra</p><p><strong>11 a.m.</strong> Wyoming Valley West Middle School Chorus</p><p><strong>Noon:</strong> Dallas Middle School Select Chorus</p><p><strong>1 p.m.</strong> Dallas High School Concert Band</p><p><strong>2 p.m.</strong> Cross Valley Combo</p><p><strong>4 p.m.</strong> PATAsphere</p><p><strong>5 p.m.</strong> Leadership Wilkes-Barre Learning with Books Little Free Library dedication</p><p><strong>7 p.m.</strong> The Alexis P. Suter Band</p><p><strong>May 18, Main Stage</strong></p><p><strong>11 a.m. </strong>Joan Harris Dance Center</p><p><strong>Noon:</strong> The Conservatory of Dance</p><p><strong>1 p.m.</strong> Dance Theatre of Wilkes-Barre</p><p><strong>2 p.m.</strong> Kulu Mele African Dance &amp; Drum Ensemble</p><p><strong>4 p.m. </strong>Perfect Harmony Singers</p><p><strong>5 p.m.</strong> The Anne Chairge School of Music</p><p><strong>6:15 p.m.</strong> Rockology Music Academy</p><p><strong>8 p.m. </strong>Lucky Chops</p><p><strong>May 19, Main Stage</strong></p><p><strong>12:30 p.m.</strong> Rising Stars</p><p><strong>1:30 p.m.</strong> YOUniversal Suzuki Strings</p><p><strong>2:30 p.m.</strong> The Mozart Club</p><p><strong>4 p.m. </strong>Dot Gov</p><p><strong>The Osterhout Free Library schedule </strong>in the Family Activity Center tent includes:</p><p><strong>May 17</strong></p><p>Storytelling at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and make-and-take book mark crafts at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.</p><p><strong>May 18</strong></p><p>Storytelling at 11 a.m, 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and make-and-take bookmarks at 1:30 p.m.</p><p><strong>May 19</strong></p><p>Storytelling at noon and 2:30 p.m. and make-and-take bookmarks at 12:#0 p.m.</p><p><strong>Artists in residence</strong> include <strong>Tim Weaver </strong>demonstrating watercolor and painting on Public Square from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. today , from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday; and <strong>Robert Gaetano</strong> en plein air pastel drawing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Saturday.</p><p>Also, from 5 to 8 p.m. today, you can visit with artists <strong>Matthew Howell</strong> and <strong>Jennifer Brennan,</strong> whose work will be on display at 47 N. Franklin St., a short block away from the Fiesta. &#8220;She does papier mache, so she creates art by adding, and I carve, so I start with a block of wood and create art by subtracting,&#8221; Howell noted.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The band Lucky Chops will bring their brassy funk sound to Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s Fine Arts Fiesta for the headliner performance 8 p.m. Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_lucky.chops_.jpg</photo0><caption0>The band Lucky Chops will bring their brassy funk sound to Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s Fine Arts Fiesta for the headliner performance 8 p.m. Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>facebook.com </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_lucky.chops_.band_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of Lucky Chops, who have been playing together since they were high school students in Manhattan, will bring their music to the Fine Arts Fiesta at 8 p.m. Saturday in downtown Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_lucky.chops_.band_.jpg</photo1><caption1>Members of Lucky Chops, who have been playing together since they were high school students in Manhattan, will bring their music to the Fine Arts Fiesta at 8 p.m. Saturday in downtown Wilkes-Barre. </caption1><photoCredit1>facebook.com </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_kulu.mele_.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kulu Mele will bring the dance and drumming of Africa to Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s Fine Arts Fiesta at 2 p.m. Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_kulu.mele_.jpg</photo2><caption2>Kulu Mele will bring the dance and drumming of Africa to Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s Fine Arts Fiesta at 2 p.m. Saturday. </caption2><photoCredit2>kulumele.org </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_artwork-001.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A colorful mural painted by students and members of the community at Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre celebrates the joy of the Fine Arts Fiesta. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_artwork-001.jpg</photo3><caption3>A colorful mural painted by students and members of the community at Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre celebrates the joy of the Fine Arts Fiesta. </caption3><photoCredit3>Mary Therese Biebel | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Kulu Mele, many other artists to perform live</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mary Therese Biebel</p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Lucky Chops is Fine Arts Fiesta headliner