August 3, 2016 — Downtown Lorain will once again become the stage for sizzling fire and arts performances and installations set to the rhythms of local and world musicians in the second annual FireFish Festival, which will take place on Saturday, September 17 from noon to midnight. Bringing vibrancy and artistic sensibility to downtown Lorain, FireFish, will continue to shine a light on the city's great beauty, with its miles of lake and river front and its majestic classic architecture as well as its long history of support of the arts.

Cited as the latest example of "art as catalyst for civic rebirth" by the Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial board, the first FireFish Festival, which for the second year has the First Energy Foundation as a presenting sponsor, was held last September and drew 10,000 attendees. The excitement and uniqueness of the event with its performances in unexpected places and percussion parade culminating in the burning of the ceremonial fish will be built upon this year, with extended hours, additional venues, the use of the Black River for an even more dramatic fiery finale, and wider array of exciting performances, inventive visual art installations; fire performers; and more...transforming Lorain's downtown urban landscape into a dynamic artistic experience that will engage all of the senses.

According to Executive Director James Levin, "Our 2016 event promises to be bigger, better and even more exciting than last years' FireFish Festival, which provided a glimpse of what is possible in the reimagining of downtown Lorain as a dynamic, artistic mecca. We hope this highly acclaimed, unforgettable one-of-a-kind annual arts festival will continue to attract thousands of new visitors to this Northeastern Ohio hidden gem on the water."

The free event will once again present music, dance, theatre and art both on stages and in the hidden alleys, empty storefronts, balconies and fire escapes, but this year it will take place on Broadway Avenue's own "alley," Black River Lane. Says Levin, "This slight shift in location connects the Festival more directly to the Black River Landing and waterfront, where more artistic surprises are in store." Highlights include Northeast Ohio's #1 salsa band, the Sammy De Leon Orchestra; sound artist Jeremy Bible's audio installation in the Palace Theatre; aerial artists Jasmine Dragons; video artist Kevin Jackson and Grammy winning pianist Angelin Chang performance of their synesthetic art installation, "Beyond Measure," with music and shape shifting video; the Great Lakes Light Opera; acclaimed blues singer Kristine Jackson; and an energized festival kick-off by fitness pioneer High Voltage with her High Energy Concert.

Teen arts apprentices from the FireFish Arta Summer STEAM Academy, located in downtown Lorain, will be creating the centerpiece of the festival -- a giant FireFish sculpture that comes to life spewing fire. In this eight week intensive arts and job training programheaded by Bread and Puppet Theatre veteran Daniel McNamara and poet Monica Idom, teen apprentices learn about themselves, work and life responsibilities by engaging in personal self-expression while also creating elements of the FireFish Festival with professional artists in all media.

Says Joan Perch, founder of FireFish Arts and Gallery Coordinator at Stocker Arts Center, "The FireFish Festival generated a great deal of excitement in the community and has been an exciting next step in our mission to enhance the revitalization/economic development in downtown Lorain, and ultimately impacting Lorain County. The STEAMAcademy is an example of FireFish Art's goal to enhance economic and civic revitalization through visionary arts events, pioneering arts programming, youth education and workforce development initiatives." The FireFish STEAM Academy is operated in collaboration with the , Save Our Children and the Ohio Means Jobs TANFF program, in partnership with the , the Lorain Arts Council and the BRIAR (Black River Innovative Artists Residence).

Says Honorary Chairwoman, Representative Marcy Kaptur [D-OH9], "The FireFish Festival is once again bringing its wonderful mix of creativity, economic activity, and community engagement to Lorain and the greater region. Congratulations to FireFish's Joan Perch and James Levin and to City leadership for building an entertaining artistic event that showcases Lorain's beautiful natural setting along the Black River and Lake Erie."

"We are proud to support the FireFish Festival and cultural events in the communities where we live and work," said Dee Lowery, president of the FirstEnergy Foundation, the presenting sponsor of the festival for the second year. "This is just another way FirstEnergy works to improve the quality of life for all our customers."

The FireFish Festival and FireFish STEAM Academy are programs of FireFish Arts, a Lorain County non-profit corporation dedicated to enhancing revitalization and economic development in downtown Lorain, impacting all of Lorain County. Through visionary arts events, programming and leadership, FireFish Arts is creating a bold new vision of arts event-based civic engagement, commerce, and enterprise through which downtown Lorain, the community, and region can work toward building a renewed creative economy. With Executive Director James Levin at the helm, FireFish Arts also provides critical leadership in creating broader community arts activity to spur economic development, bridge economic divides, generate hope, instill pride of community and empower disadvantaged individuals and groups through the arts.