A man wearing a bird mask plays piano while a woman in a blue dress and butterfly mask sings during Masq(p)arade!, an interactive complement to Pianos on State.
Masq(p)arade! is an interactive complement to Pianos on State. Credit: Courtesy photo

The Third Annual Masq(p)arade! performance will take place 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, with shows every 15 minutes in downtown Santa Barbara.

The whimsical progressive-style performance parade showcases a series of piano-based acts, in celebration of Pianos on State. 

Masq(p)arade! was conceived in 2021 by Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative (SBAC) outreach committee members Darian Bleecher and Adrienne De Guevara as an interactive complement to Pianos on State.

The free event enlists performers and pianists to create 15-minute works to be presented in succession on the final Friday of Pianos on State.

The bite-sized shows engage audience members through innovative presentations involving playful masks and fancifully painted pianos.

“Masq(p)arade! is my absolute favorite public art event of the entire year, and is the highlight of the beloved Pianos on State season,” said Nathan Vonk, owner of Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery.

There will be a brief intermission between acts to allow participants to progress up State Street to enjoy the entire performance series. 

The lineup for Masq(p)arade! 2023 is: 
5:30-5:45 p.m. – Out of the Box Theatre Company aat State and Carrillo streets.

6-6:15 p.m. – Santa Barbara Improv at State and Figueroa streets.

6:30-6:45 p.m. – Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus at State and Anapamu streets

7-7:15 p.m. – España Nueva Social Club at State and Anapamu streets

7:30-7:45 p.m. – Brasscals at State and Victoria streets

Masq(p)arade! organizers, the SBAC, and Art from Scrap are collaborating to offer a series of mask-making workshops to allow audience members to participate by wearing decorated masks for the occasion. Crafternoons for Youth at Art From Scrap will be 3:30-5 p.m. Oct. 19.