MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Conor McGuigan is an Equity Actor who has performed in many shows locally and around the East Coast. He is also found acting as MC for many local events including StorySlam and most recently the Lackawanna County Battle of the Bands event. Conor is also a DJ and c0-founder of the hit dance party PANKED! Held every 4th Thursday at the Bog in Scranton.
BANDS/MUSIC
Coal Town Rounders
The Coal Town Rounders are a hard driving four piece traditional bluegrass band from various parts of Northeastern Pennsylvania featuring Jason Zarnowski -Upright String Bass/Vocals, Matthew Hiller – Mandolin/Vocals, Christopher Kearney – Guitar/Vocals, Ian O’Hara – Banjo Drawing influence from all types of old time string bands and bluegrass standards. They have played all over Pennsylvania. www.coaltownrounders.com
The Great Party
The Great Party is a five-piece band established in 2011 that focuses on Ameri-Pop/Style Rock. Husband and wife team Rosaleen and Michael Eastman are on vocals, synths and guitar Michael Nordberg, bass by Matt Mang and Pat Gaughan on drums. They were recently the winner of the Scranton Cultural Center’s Listen Local Series. In May of 2012 the group release a six song EP, “The Great Party EP” and in this October they release “Hecho en Mexico” music video. They were a recipient of a 2013 Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Grant for the video. www.thegreatpartymusic.bandcamp.com
Leo Schott-Uilleann Pipes
Leo Schott has performed traditional Irish and Medieval music for over 25 years. Performing at arts festivals, parties, weddings, funerals on recordings and concerts, alone and as part of ensembles, he has traveled throughout Ireland and the United States. www.leoschott.com
Drum Circle featuring Steve Kurilla and Friends
Steve Kurilla is a local drummer who plays regularly throughout northeastern, PA and the east coast with Music for Models and the Steve Kurilla Jazz Project.
FIRE PERFORMERS AND BALLOON ARTIST
Mike Simon – Juggler
Mike has been juggling for 10 years and performing magic for almost 5 years and has attended many juggling festivals and conventions and practicing magic for over ten years www.mikesimonmagic.com
The Double “R” Twirlettes
The Double “R” Twirlettes is an award winning baton twirling group that holds state, regional, and national championships. The group is the oldest of its kind and the pioneer of baton twirling in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Twirlettes were organized in 1949 as a part of the Dickson City American Legion Drum and Bugle Corp In 1994 Kathleen Yankovich Mercatili became director of the Double “R” Twirlettes. She is the third generation in her family to hold this honor. www.doubletwirl.com
Dr. Cornelius BalloonArtist
Ryan Cornelius is a balloon artist located in Mountain Top, PA who has been making balloon animals for 15 years and professionally at birthday parties, festivals and other events for 4. https://www.facebook.com/DoctorCornelius/info
POP UP STUDIO PROCESSION
The Pop Up Studio
The Pop Up Studio is a group of young creative professionals inspired by Scranton and the whole of Lackawanna County: the people who live here, its history, its buildings, and all its potential. They are artists, designers, and thinkers committed to highlighting the extraordinary life Scranton has to offer. They create art events that will “pop-up” in new locations throughout Lackawanna County. They are members of the Bonfire at the Iron Furnaces Committee. www.thepopupstudio.org.
The Greater Scranton Black Diamonds Pipe Band
The Greater Scranton Black Diamonds Pipe Band was formed in May 1995. Originally, it consisted of five members. Currently, there are over 30 band members from northeastern, Pennsylvania. The band performs at numerous annual events. The group attends St. Patrick’s Day Parades in Binghamton NY, Scranton PA, Wilkes-Barre PA, Girardville PA, and Stroudsburg PA, and the annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Scranton in May. The band has participated in the Washington DC, Memorial Day Parade, the Harrisburg PA St Pat’s parade, and has often performed at the West Point Military Tattoo. www.blackdiamondspipeband.com
DANCE AND YOGA
Haifa Belly Dancing
Haifa is the only classically trained bellydancer in NEPA. She first started dancing at age 5 with Ballet, then moved on to include, Tap and Jazz. In 2001, she found her true passion in Middle Eastern Dance. Haifa began her journey by learning Traditional Egyptian style with local instructors Angelica and Tanna. Then Neefa Bint Durr, co-founder of Khafif Music & Dance in Pittsburgh Pa, introduced her to Tribal Fusion. Her style of bellydance is a mixture of the traditional and the modern. Its full of muscle isolations, graceful arms and snake-like movements. http://haifabellydance.com/
Symmetry Dance Studio
Symmetry Dance Company is an adult Contemporary/Modern Dance Company who’s mission is to provide dancers with an opportunity to express their artistic, education and technical performance through dance and choreography. Artistic Director, Abby Slater collaborates with the dancers to create powerful and imaginative pieces. Symmetry is dedicated to the pursuit of artistic excellence and provides dancers with the freedom of artistic creation. The Symmetry Dance Company Dancers perform at several venues throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania annually.
Mission Yoga
Mission Yoga is co-owned by Kelly O’Brien and Alex Dubois and located on Spruce St. in Scranton. Mission Yoga provides something or everyone from vinyasa, ashtanga, to restorative yoga, as well as numerous workshops, Beginner’s series, and Training Sessions. They also provide yoga classes at Uno Fitness. www.mission-yoga.com
THEATER AND HISTORY
Scranton Shakespeare Festival
The Scranton Shakespeare Festival brings bring accessible, free-of-charge, open air theatre to socio-economically diverse audiences and provides children’s theatre outreach programs. Their mission is to give the Northeastern Pennsylvania community and the surrounding area a profound understanding of Shakespeare’s work through innovative performances in professional productions. www.scrantonshakespearefestival.org
The Dearly Departed Players
The Dearly Departed Players are a group of fourteen individuals with various backgrounds who have come together for the love of history and the art of sharing it through historical theater. Each October the group offers a stone by stone walk though the history of the residents of the Dunmore cemetery.
Dominick Azzarelli
Dominick is a local historian and actor who has written and performed in many historical projects including tours and performances at the Iron Furnaces and most recently a walking tour of the Greenridge section of Scranton.
CULTURAL TABLE PARTNERS
United Neighborhood Elm St. Project – Day of the Dead Ofrenda
South Side Scranton was designated an Elm Street Community by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) in 2009 with the awarding of the Elm Street contract to United Neighborhood Centers. The project focuses on revitalizing South Scranton. https://www.facebook.com/southsideelmstreetproject
Kala School of Indian Dance-Deepavali Cultural Table
Kala School of Indian Classical Dance is based in Clarks Summit PA, USA. It was founded by Sujata Nair-Mulloth with two key objectives—-to train students in the Bharata Natyam style of Classical Dance and to promote a better understanding of India’s vast and complex cultural heritage. www.kaladance.com
Happy Faces Facepainting- Day of the Dead Face painting
Happy Faces is a group of talented artists, and with over 20 years of experience from its owner Danielle Joyce. Not just a Face Painting service, Happy Faces offers several different and unique party services, including Glitter Tattoos, SpinArt, Balloon Animals, and Princess Parties. www.happyhappyfaces.com
John Pivovarnick –Tarot Card Reader
In addition to reading cards, John Pivovarnick is an actor, director, and writer from Dunmore, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has directed shows in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as in Northeastern PA. He’s published over a dozen books, including Theatrical FX Makeup (with Dave Sartor. Heineman, 2001). John also is available for readings for parties and events.
VISUAL ARTS
Artist Benjamin Adcroft
Born and raised in Scranton, Benjamin Adcroft received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In addition to receiving the 2006 Michelangelo Amico Scholarship, Benjamin was also awarded the 2010 Alumni Scholarship as well as the Rhodes Family Award by the School of Visual Arts. His work has been featured at various locales throughout the city, including the Theaterlab and the School of Visual Arts Westside galleries. Benjamin has seen his works published by Discover magazine both in 2007 and 2008. Since 2013 he has operated a fine art studio in the heart of downtown Scranton on the Renaissance block of Lackawanna in Bogart Court. Using natural and found materials, Ben will create a sculpture for this year’s Bonfire at the Iron Furnaces that will sit atop the bonfire.
ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS FOR THE 2013 BONFIRE