Puddles Pity Party, seen here at the WigWag Fest in 2023, returns this year. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Shipman)
A “wig wag” is an archaic term for a dangling railroad-crossing light.
“Yeah, it’s kind of an old term, but I think it probably fits us, too. Because what we’re doing is kind of a throwback,” said artist and musician Robert Lee, co-founder of the WigWag Festival in the burgeoning arts enclave of Avondale Estates.
“We’re right between MARTA and a freight track and those ‘wig wags’ used to swing at crossings to warn people that a train was coming. When I was growing up in Ohio, the old saying about railroads was ‘stop, look and listen.’ We felt that was the perfect thing for this festival: Stop by, look at the art and listen to the music. I mean, come on, how perfect is that for an independent arts festival?”
As he preps for the event’s fourth year, Lee said the free one-day, multi-act Festival is reminiscent of the old Corndogarama festival in East Atlanta. “It’s a total DIY attraction, and, even though we’re growing a bit, it hasn’t turned into some kind of greedy corporate thing.”
The all-day celebration begins at 11 a.m. and continues until 9 p.m. with a diverse slate of music and entertainment. In addition to strolling minstrels and assorted carnies, the music stage features a headlining set from the Atlanta-born, international music sensation girlpuppy, with able support from Avondale-based Puddles Pity Party, as well as rocking sets from The Woggles, Wieuca, O Key, Token Hearts (featuring Buffi Aguero), Sid Jerr-Dan, Lemonmnm and a few scattered sets from DJ AV Club.
Staying indie has been the goal all along, Lee said. “You know how things can grow to be too big for their britches, and then it’s just kinda not cool anymore? Well, that’s exactly what we’re trying hard not to do. We want to keep it as close to the original intent as possible, but just make it an even bigger neighborhood party — and everyone is welcome to join us.”
The initial concept was to combine live music with food trucks and general community goodwill. “That was basically all we had in mind,” Lee said recently. “Every year we’ve tried to grow it to be a bigger and better version of it, without ruining it for everyone involved.”
Indeed, the Festival had humble beginnings. “The first year, the bands basically stood on a table, with pallets on the dock of the Globe Arts Center. So they were like 10 feet off the ground with no railing around them. But now we have a real, official stage and restrooms. It’s gonna be much better.”
The lineup for the first year included a number of local favorites, including Blake Rainey of Young Antiques, Solid State Radio, Ana Balka and headliner Small Reactions.
“Since it’s still a free event, we totally rely on vendors and sponsorships, which is a fine line to walk because we don’t want it to become too commercial. So to balance it all out, the catalyst has been the Globe, which is behind Little Tree Studios in Avondale. That’s where my company, [printmakers] Methane Studios is based, too, so it all sort of becomes a cool little hub of local arts and creativity. This is just a way to celebrate the area with a fun little gathering and maybe make some new friends along the way.”
Lee said the focus has stayed as local-centric as possible. “We really want to be a platform for people who may not have the means to be seen on more commercial sites. Also, we aim to keep the fees down to make it as affordable as possible for newer artists to be seen. The entry fees for some of these [other regional] fests have been cost-prohibitive for new artists. We’re trying to keep it affordable and to be a good place to see local artists of every kind. And that does include music, because what good is an arts festival without live music? So me and a few friends [dubbed ‘the Wags’] decided to pool our resources around here to put a little spotlight on the locals for a nice change.”
Due to his expertise in exhibiting shows for Methane Studios, Lee said he tried to keep in mind what an artist might need, as opposed to what a sponsor might dictate. “With WigWag, we’re not trying to make a profit. We’re just trying to have a good time. As you know, there’s a big difference. To use the old cliché, it really does take a village to make things happen.”
To appeal to artists of all ages, Lee added that there’s a bigger focus on the kids’ area this year. The small block of cooperating studios is also near train tracks, thus the idea of the Festival’s kid-friendly mascots was born. “Trashy Cat is one of the mascots, and her friend is the Dumpster Rat, so we’re basically playing on images of those sort of little ‘outsider’ neighborhood characters to kind of represent the whole thing.”
Junkyard art will also figure prominently, including old cars as signage and the utilization of a big, empty warehouse space for an outsider art show. Lee said participating artists can pay $25 to enter their work and then retain any profits from their sales. “It’s a way to introduce people to some great artists who might be young or just not in the whole gallery scene. There’s some great stuff coming in. It’ll be kind of like a state fair atmosphere, and we’ll have a DJ and a late-night party to go along with it, so it’s all part of the event.”
The overall experience will coalesce as a true block party, he said.
“It’s as close as we can make it,” said Lee. “Mike Geier, the ‘best friend’ of Puddles the clown, his studio is right across from our Methane Studio in Avondale. He’s been very supportive, and he’s making sure his buddy Puddles will be back onstage to perform for us again this year. They’re never in the same place at the same time, if you know what I mean, so hopefully he can make that happen.”
Where & when
WigWag Fest happens 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. May 31. Free, but $50 VIP tickets are available at the Festival’s website. 2835 Washington St., Avondale Estates, wigwagfest.com
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Lee Valentine Smith is an Atlanta-born artist, writer and musician. Currently a regular contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, his work has been syndicated internationally. He has appeared at Music Midtown, on CBS Radio and on Air America. He also served as art director, consultant and archivist for projects with ’80s hitmakers The Go-Go’s.
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