Last year, SPARKcon, Raleigh’s annual open-source arts festival, almost had to shut down. Funding was short, sponsors were fading away, and a September event began to look unlikely. But the community rallied, and a crowdfunding campaign saved the day.

Now, SPARKcon is set to return in 2019, but with some major changes in store, VAE director Brandon Cordrey wrote in an email this week. The headline is that the festival is moving, though it isn’t immediately clear what this might mean, since it traditionally has taken place in many venues and public spaces around downtown Raleigh.

Cordrey, who stressed that the festival is in no danger of being cancelled and isn’t being forced to move, hinted that other changes might be in store as well. If you have thoughts about the festival’s location, schedule, and activities, VAE is hosting an open community meeting on Monday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. 

Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.