Area Musician Plans First Annual Art & Music Festival

Cassandra Vohs-Demann said one of the best kept secrets of Huntley may be its 288-seat theatre, The Cosman Cultural Centre.

With her background as an event producer and musician, the Marengo resident is working with the Huntley Park District to bring more visibility to the entertainment
venue. In the First Annual Music & Art Festival, guests will have an opportunity to see several live musical performances and peruse an art market before and during intermission of the show. The event is set for 6 p.m., Saturday, April 30 at Cosman Cultural Centre, 12015 Mill Street.

“It’s a pretty unknown place,” said Vohs-Demann, vocalist
for Cassandra and the Gravel Road Band. “I wasn’t even aware of it.”

While visualizing the one-year anniversary concert for her band’s CD release, though, she realized she would rather make it an event than just a show. As proprietor of A Place to Shine Music, Vohs-Demann discussed the idea with David Genty, recreation supervisor of sports and special events for the Huntley Park District.

“He’s been trying to bring more attention to the Cosman, and we talked and I just thought, ‘You know, I’m going to see what I can do.”

So she put a network of her friends together, inviting 12 artisans to display and sell their artwork at a market element, which will be held in the ballet studio behind the theatre. Paintings, jewelry, pottery, and flowers are among the offerings planned for the event.

“The whole idea was to create a fusion of art and music,” she said. Cassandra and the Gravel Road Band will perform for an hour and a half, and the idea is for patrons to check out the market during intermission. She
describes her band as a blend of country rock with comparisons to Melissa
Ethridge and Sarah MacLaughlin.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., and
entrance to the market, opening at 6 p.m., are $10.00 for adults and $5 for
children 12 years and younger. Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery and Garden
Center will decorate the market and sell plants. Higher Grounds Coffee will
sell refreshments, and other performers include local Huntley musician Zak Greer,
sharing his original blues songs; Just Duet, which Vohs-Demann described as “two
ladies and two guitars doing acoustic covers”; and Big Fish, featuring the
sounds of harmonica, guitar, mandolin and folk swing. In addition, musical
students Jorie Parys and John Hegner are also scheduled.

Featured artists include Kathy Boruch, Nancy Graham, Donna
Zaidenburg, Cary Gaspar, Syndi Simon, Trish Vollkommer, Francine Sinderson, Dale Sinderson, Dick Thorsen, and Kelsey Kloss.

More information about Cassandra and the Gravel Road Band is
available at www.cassandragravelroad.com.

For event information, contact Vohs-Demann at (847) 507-1352.