It’s time for another free festival centering on art.



But wait. “It is not just another festival — there are important twists,” explains Drew Ebersole, fund development officer at the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association, who will be presenting the family-friendly Music & Murals event set to happen Sept. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at People’s Park on Hilltop.



Those twists include music by Korla Wygal, A.K.A., Ephryme, Smoke of Oldominion, Rag Dharma, Daniel Blue, and Dragonfish Killswitch!, and murals by Tacoma Works, Bob Henry, and Alexis St John in the event’s name; but they also include twists like tie-dye with Tempest Lounge, more interactive art experience with Hilltop Artists in Residence, D.A.S.H., Live Paint, and more, and of course food — all celebrating the rich cultural heritage and diversity that have marked the community’s history.



“We want the depth and breadth represented in the community,” Ebersole asserts, and points to the involvement of The Korean Women’s Association, the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Centro Latino, the Urban League, and various Native American groups in the festivities toward helping further appreciation of the Hilltop’s community mix.

“We want the diversity to come forth,” Ebersole adds, “We’re celebrating from the inside out and from the outside in, making connections and recognizing the positive … changing the tired old perception …”



He emphasizes that this event is designed to encourage residents within the community to come out and connect with their neighbors and to invite those who may still harbor misconceptions about the neighborhood to hear the message, “Heads Up — It’s Happening on Hilltop! In a fun way.” 



“Art is the center that pulls things together,” Ebersole states.



The Music & Murals event “is not brand new — reinvigorated,” explains Ebersole.  It ran for six years, then took a three-year hiatus while community efforts and growth continued.  But now, Ebersole explains, the time is ripe for a celebration, noting that Felix Flannigan, director of the MLK Housing and Development Association, has made it all possible. “He’s been a tremendous force to create change, opportunity, and vitality to the area.”



The timing of the event, when kids get back into school and communities are naturally coming together, also coincides with the groundbreaking of a new building for the MLK Housing and Development Association, as well as the distribution of  two recently completed walking maps, one for murals and public art, the other for the restaurants of the area.



“It’s time for the celebration to begin again,” Ebersole says.



[People’s Park, Saturday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free, 100 S. Ninth St., Tacoma, www.musicandmurals.com]