Submitted by Melissa Howsam — Correspondent
SPARKcon ignites city center as art, film, fashion, music, dance and creative culture collide across 175 events — all local, all free. Here are a few can't-miss triangle.com picks. SPARKcon starts Thursday and ends Sunday.
fashionSPARK
Don't let anybody tell you the South ain't got no style... If you gotta passion for fashion, park your rump by the City Plaza runway as 15 of the Triangle's top trendsetters take stage in the "Wear What You Are" style showcase — including such names as Raleigh Denim, Jessica Palmer, Tyger Alexis, ssd Jewelry and Revamp and Good Girls, Inc. The all-the-rage couture craze also kicks off Triangle Fashion Week — Triangle Blvd's homegrown haute fashionista fete. Details: "Wear What You Are" Fashion Show, Friday, 8-9 p.m., City Plaza. Free and open to the public. Fashion Show After Party at The Union, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. | More info
circusSPARK
Turns out tricks aren't just for kids. So, bounce over to the big top for a parade of three-ring performances — from firedancers and face-painters, to jugglers, acrobats and aerialists. There's workshops, too ... so if anyone ever told you to just go join the circus, the joke just might be on them. Details: Spark after Dark Thursday 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; Fire Conclave, Friday 9-10:30 p.m.; Hat's off! Workshop, Saturday 10-11 a.m.; Creative Play, Heart Lead the Way, Saturday 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | More info
graffitiSPARK
Got street cred? These creatives do. So, splatter your SPARKcon experience with some Saturday street art with a live start-to-finish demo by local graffitists, including live painting of two box trucks. Details: Saturday, 1-5 p.m., Martin Street. | More info
musicSPARK
On the heels of Hopscotch comes this year's "all local all free" staging of some of the best area bands. Step up to the outdoor stage — two of them, plus a horde of local hotspots — as 150 musicians bend the boards. Feeling frisky? Saturday sees an instrument petting zoo in the City Plaza tent (1-3 p.m.) presented by the NC Symphony. Details: All weekend, times and venues vary. Venues include Main stages, Sadlack's, Southland Ballroom, Deep South, Kings, Amplified Art, Wilmoore Cafe, Slim's, The Union and Tir na Nog. | More info
geekSPARK
Hey. Techies are creative too. And they'll tout that talent at a video game tourney featuring locally created games across a tetrad of categories. Like off-screen mechanics? There's a board game tourney too. So, looks like the "geeks" do got game. Try your hand at a few of their "killer game concepts" across card, board, strategy, student-created and social games. Emphasizing the Triangle's technical know-how and prowess, geekSPARK will also host two telepresence stations featuring Cisco's Umi and a Digital Motion Showcase highlighting the intersection of video, art, electronics and software. Details: SPARKwars, Friday 4 p.m. - Sunday 7 p.m.; Gaming Showcase, Friday 6-9 p.m. and Saturday 1-9 p.m.; Digital Motion Showcase, Friday 6-9 p.m., Saturday 12-8 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. | More info
