Proceeds will benefit four veterans organizations
When was the last time someone was shot out of a cannon in Orange County? It will happen twice at the Savage Wonder Festival on Sunday, May 29. The celebration will last from noon until 10 p.m. at the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center.
The human cannonball will hurtle through the air at about noon and six p.m. It’s a traditional circus act, but the festival is not a circus. Chris Meyer, the organizer describes it as a way to combine the two roles of Memorial Day – a day to remember deceased members of the military that has also become the unofficial start of summer.
Savage Wonder is a true festival, complete with face painting and food trucks. Admission is just $5 and the proceeds will go to nonprofit organizations that benefit veterans.
Former service people are responsible for the entertainment. For example, festival-goers will see a unique dance sequence that was choreographed by a former Marine machine gunner who served in Fallujah. They’ll hear a world-class singer who studied under Placido Domingo after serving in Iraq.
And they’ll listen to the country music of a veteran who fought in Afghanistan and survived a green-on-blue attack.
The festival will include a showing of “The Last Out,” a film produced by a Green Beret that will soon be available on Amazon Prime. There will also be poetry and art, as well as a demonstration of old uniforms being converted into a unique form of paper. The artists include a national award winner who was homeless in Newburgh before developing his talent in an art therapy course.
Mr. Meyer has organized the festival to bridge the military-civilian divide. “If you really want to welcome veterans home,” he claims, “this is the way to do it.”
“These are people who should be better known,” he continues. “You’ll see unique art you’re not going to see anywhere else. It’s just different. There’s a different dynamic – a real difference with someone who went down the warrior path and then found art.”
The Performing Arts Center is at 1351 Kings Highway in Sugar Loaf. The festival is for everyone in the family. It’s intended to be fun as well as a way to appreciate our country and the sacrifices made to keep it free. “This is our culture,” Mr. Meyer emphasized, “the story we tell about ourselves.”
