Previously known as SPARK, the Activate Cafe seeks to unite diverse people over common loves: food, coffee, art, and music. Activate Cafe primarily strives to bring art and music to the heart of Versailles. This year, the cafe was held in the Amsden building downtown on December 1st and 2nd. There was a gallery showcasing student art (as well as live art by Brad Praria (12) and Lauren Smiley (12)), nonprofit organizations, live music, coffee, and pastries from the Amsden Coffee Club and The Midway Bakery.

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Activating the Arts

Activate Cafe is a pop-up cafe put on by Woodford County High School students. The community activism class is made up of juniors and seniors, and strives to improve Versailles by bringing the community together. While small pop-up events might not seem like much, they bring attention to Versailles and the potential it has to be a happening place. Change is already happening around us; The Amsden Coffee Club is now a permanent coffee shop downtown and More Than A Bakery came to Versailles because of the opportunities brought by these pop-up events. Some former students from the Community Activism class banded together to make their own nonprofit, pay-it-forward cafe (Spark Community Cafe), coming to downtown Versailles in 2018. Versailles is slowly but surely growing into a community space.

Eliza Bradshaw (12) took the lead when putting on Activate Cafe. She worked incredibly hard, and her work paid off. In an interview, she says, “I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to perform my music in Versailles. I was grateful that Activate Cafe opened that opportunity for me and many others. Amazing musicians participated and had a chance to showcase themselves. We had music all day and I could not be happier at the multitudinous amount of people looking to perform.” The schedule for live music was packed–there were limited spots for open mic, and there was always something being performed, whether it was music, poetry, or even stand-up comedy. The audience was full, and once there were no more chairs, people sat on the floors, and even stood in the doorway. When asked about the impact she hoped to have locally, Eliza said, “Looking forward, I hope food-service businesses in Versailles considers having live music. There are many willing artists, and a huge audience. It is a worthwhile investment.”

Activate will also be putting on a film festival the weekend of March 23rd and 24th. This festival will include short film showings, an art gallery, live music, food trucks, speakers, workshops, and more. No matter your age or interests, there’s something for everyone at Activate!