The University Place Neighborhood in northeast Lincoln will overhaul two blocks on Sunday, Sept. 21, for a special Makers Market festival.
This event will be held on along St. Paul Avenue—between 47th and 49th streets—from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to attend.
The month’s market is the fifth in a six-month series on the third Sunday of each month from May through October. But organizers tell KLIN News this celebration will be bigger than ones past, because three local organizations will be teaming up for the event: The LUX Center for the Arts, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and the Uni Place Creative District.
The Creative District will continue to host the Maker’s Market, featuring numerous local vendors. The LUX Center is hosting their 3rd biannual EMERGE LNK: Mural + Street Art Festival, featuring the launch of three new murals in the neighborhood this fall:
- “Future of University Place” on end of the Leighton District apartment complex on 48th & Leighton Ave, by Matthew Mederer (currently in progress).
- A mural on the north wall of the Masonic Lodge building on N. 48th and Baldwin Ave, by Joy Kjer (will start Friday).
- A mural on the west facing wall of Mo Java Cafe facing over the parking lot, by Margaret Kove Kopeke (will start Sunday).
Once these are complete, the total number of murals in University Place will be more than 13—the highest concentration of murals in Lincoln. LUX will be hosting art making activities and vendor booths in each part of it’s campus during the festival.
Lastly, Nebraska Wesleyan University’s Gold Standard singers will be providing music at 12 p.m. on stage between the Makers Market and LUX. Additional music will be provided by Mike Semrad and the Riverhawks, DJ SpenceLove, Madeline Reddell, and The Bergamot.
“It’ll be a great trifecta of neighborhood organizations,” said Andy Peterson, Uni Place Creative District Board President and Director of Programs and Operations at LUX Center for the Arts.
Food trucks on site will be: Ybor – Cuban Sandwiches, Kona Ice, and The Corner Kitchen.
University Place is Lincoln’s first certified Creative District. Peterson says this event series wouldn’t be possible without this designation. It unlocks economic support from the state, administered by the Nebraska Arts Council, to foster economic development through the arts.
“Our explicit mission is to find creatives in our neighborhood and foster them, with the goal of bringing great events, art activities, and experiences, to the neighborhood. We want to make Uni Place somewhere that brings people up and makes it a better place to live and visit,” Peterson said. “Hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Organizers are keeping an eye on the weather, but will shift activities indoors/under tents in the case of rain. For more information, visit uniplacecreativedistrict.org.