West End Celebration is a place where artists and musicians of all experience levels share the stage.

Erik Chalhoub here, looking forward to the West End Celebration in Sand City this weekend.

I checked it out for the first time last year and was blown away by the size, turnout and talent on display. With so much to see and hear, I felt that I barely scratched the surface of what was offered.

I got a taste of what’s to come earlier this month during the Night Market 831, held every first Friday at a Sand City Art Park filled with food, activities and live music. I also checked out The Temple Garage and their mixed media work (take a look at their antique drawers filled with book pages), who are among the many artists at West End Celebration.

In this week’s edition of the Weekly, Digital Producer Sloan Campi spoke with two musicians—Coco Montoya and Gin Fragonard—who are the perfect representation of who performs at West End.

On one hand, you have the experienced Montoya, a touring blues guitarist who has been playing in the area since the 1970s, and on the other, there is Fragonard, who leads the up-and-coming band The Fragonards.

West End is not only an opportunity for new bands to get exposure to a larger audience, it’s also a place where they join veterans of the craft on stage who are nothing but supportive of their endeavors.

“It’s always inspiring,” Montoya told Campi. “You have young musicians coming out, whether it be blues or whatever it is they’re playing. Their young talent is growing. It’s fun to see.”

The West End Celebration program is also inserted in this week’s paper, so take a gander and plan your weekend.

Sand City is more than just the big box stores and industrial buildings. It’s a happening place.

Newsletter

Weekend edition.