KCAW Stardust Ball A Venerable Tradition

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Created on Friday, 25 October 2024 16:20

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
This year’s Stardust Ball – a decades-old tradition around Halloween and Sitka’s largest dance and costume party for ages 21 and up – kicks off Saturday at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
Doors open at 7 p.m., with a lip sync contest starting 7:45 p.m. The band 20 Grand will take the stage around 8:30 p.m. and a costume contest will take place between the band’s sets. This year’s organizers are KCAW and the Ramshackle Cabaret, which is part of Artchange.

Costumed participants perform on stage at the 2016 Stardust Ball at Centennial Hall. (Sentinel File Photo)

Mariana Robertson, the new general manager of KCAW Raven Radio, said the Stardust ball was one of the first things she heard about when she applied for the job here.
“In the job description there was a little piece about Sitka and one of the things they said was there’s an amazing costume contest, lip sync, live band party for Halloween, and the whole town turned out,” she said. “And I was like, ‘that’s somewhere I want to live.’ So I’ve been excited for it since before I got to Sitka.”
In her first year in Sitka, Robertson said the prospect of co-hosting such a big event was a little scary but now she’s mostly looking forward to it.
“I think I’m most nervous about the lip sync contest because it’ll be my first time performing in it, but I’m also excited to see everyone else once I get through mine,”
Robertson is maintaining the element of surprise for both the act she’s in as well as her costume, but she can see that a lot of people are putting time and creativity into both aspects for the Stardust ball.
“I’ve seen people starting to pick up their pieces for their costumes at the White Elephant, the craft store and Tongass Threads, and I’ve heard about some of the costumes,” she said. “I’m really excited to see what people come up with.”
Zac Fawcett was in the band that came here last year, and enjoyed it enough to come back this year, with the Montana-based group 20 Grand. He and Christian Litten, the producer of the Ramshackle Cabaret, were college roommates at the University of Idaho, and both studied music.
Fawcett plays trumpet and other instruments in the nine-piece funk band, which has been together in various incarnations over the past 16 years. Last year, the band performed as The Nightmares.
Fawcett said he’s never seen anything like the Stardust Ball in terms of a community event.
“Last year we got a little taste, and I was just blown away by just the soul and enthusiasm and stoke that this community puts into the event,” Fawcett said. “From all the amazing Jim Henson-quality handmade costumes, just the stoke, and zeal. And the cabaret bits were really fun. I was just blown away. I would say it’s in a league of its own in terms of a Halloween-type throw-down.”
Recalling a few of the memorable costumes from last year, Fawcett remembers the Skeksis and Gelfling costume from Henson’s “The Dark Crystal,” a Geppetto and Pinocchio combo, and a McDonald’s cast with a horror twist,
“I can’t highlight enough how amazing all the costumes were,” he said.
Fawcett said the mix of music 20 Grand plays is about 50-50 original tunes and covers, and the main goal of the mix will be to “try to honor the vibe and the spirit of the event.” The band’s influences include hip hop, jazz and soul.
Artchange’s Ellen Frankenstein has lived in Sitka for about 30 years and attended the annual dance many years, first as a film society event and later under KCAW and Ramshackle/Artchange. Artchange is the parent nonprofit of Ramshackle Cabaret, and collaborates with KCAW on organizing the event.
“It’s been exciting – the Ramshackle Cabaret has been helping keep the Stardust spirit alive, and we’re looking forward to another creative community event,” she said.
The event will feature a bar, as well as nonalcoholic drinks bar, and there are food trucks outside the building. Tickets are available at Old Harbor Books, and at the door, but those purchasing at the door need to have cash. Those attending the event must have IDs at the door.