The Novelty Collective Eighth Annual Music & Arts Festival
November 2024
There are few things more beautiful than a community coming together to celebrate & support one another, especially when each member of that community gets an equal opportunity to share their unique gifts for all to enjoy. The Novelty Collective Music & Arts Festival has been our favorite event to host year after year because it’s so much more than a big concert or a flashy art fair—NoCo Fest is a family reunion, & the family keeps on growing.
This was our eighth annual festival, & we have to say it was truly our best. If we are judging based on numbers, we did host more performers, more visual art vendors, & more visitors this year than in the past three… & if we factor in the addition of our coffee shop stage & book sales, we did feature more to explore… but “bigger” does not always equal better. What made this NoCo Fest so great can only be credited to the wonderful artists who chose to participate.
From the eighteen performing acts to all twenty-five vendors, each artist collectively made NoCo Fest the warmest & most welcoming it has ever been. There were no signs of ego or selfish behavior; instead humility, generosity, & mutual support created an atmosphere that made everyone who walked through our doors feel seen & valued. That is exactly what The Novelty Collective is all about. It’s not something that can be manufactured or faked. So we can’t speak highly enough of those who brought not only their incredible talents to the festival, but also their genuine love & kindness.
However, it would be a disservice if we did not also talk about their talents! We could not be more impressed by the music, poetry, & artwork we witnessed at NoCo Fest this year. By the time we officially opened our doors to the public, The COVE Art Center was brimming with a menagerie of colorful paintings, flowers, treats, jewelry, illustrations, crafts, & trinkets that completely elevated the aesthetic of an already captivating space. Each display table was expertly set up to draw your eye, & with so many unique & beautiful pieces, a weekend was never enough to take it all in. One could easily tell that a lot of practice, patience, & passion went into the artwork displayed at NoCo Fest!
From tear-jerking poetry to wild & spooky dance music, our performing artists sprinkled a bit of everything into this festival. While we acknowledge that NoCo Fest can be considered a “DIY-punk show,” every act brought a level of passion, talent, & professionalism that would have you believe we run a highly sought-after venue! These artists gave it their best, & it really showed. With so many exhilarating performances & moving lyrics, all in attendance were left with a mix of emotions & deep thoughts to process for the rest of the week. Art that is honest & born from lived experience is often the most powerful & connective form of expression. We are so grateful for everyone who gave NoCo Fest a taste of that!
We cannot forget to acknowledge the amazing team we hired to work behind the scenes to ensure everything ran optimally over the festival weekend. These brilliant artists put a lot of effort into their assigned tasks, & it left the kind of impact that went almost completely unnoticed—which means they did a fantastic job! Our Audio Production Team made every performance sound the way it should, gave equal respect & attention to each artist, & made transitions between acts run as smoothly as possible. Our Image Capture Team was super active in grabbing photo & video content, yet never in anyone’s way. Hospitality made sure every visitor was met with a smiling face at the door & knew where the action was happening throughout the building. These guys are the unsung heroes of NoCo Fest.
The Novelty Collective has come a long way in our efforts to make art accessible & to empower artists. We are so proud of the makers who first started sharing their work at NoCo Fest & have since gone on to spend more time creating & selling art at other events. Performers who rarely take the stage have been outspoken about how our events inspire them to share more confidently & more often. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others & watching them succeed. We can take no credit in their achievements, but it has been our greatest joy & privilege to simply make space for them.
If you attended NoCo Fest 2024, thank you so much for taking some time out of this busy season to experience & be a part of our little community. It means so much to The Novelty Collective team & to the artists you came to support. If you have not yet had the chance to come to one of our events, we hope you will consider making the trip in the near future. It is our sincere prayer that you will find deep connection to community wherever you are & make the space to express yourself creatively with absolute freedom!
Blessings,
The Novelty Collective Team
Article written by Jordan A. King
