Reno women rock Wingfield Park

Women throughout the Truckee Meadows will be participating in this weekend’s Ladies in the Park, a female-centric shindig celebrating local female culture.

The idea for the event was born several months ago, when a few female musicians flirted with the notion of putting together a music festival. Since that time, Ladies in the Park has blossomed into something much broader than the simple singing of tunes. The 12-hour event will include performances by modern dancer Martina Young, the Asha Belly Dancers and actress Mary Bennett. Joanna Frueh, professor of art history at the University of Nevada, Reno, will be the keynote speaker. Various organizations and businesses will also be on hand to educate and entertain.

And there will be lots of music, including appearances by Marten’s Platform, Kate Cotter, Sophie and the Probiotics and Keen.

“We saw this as a real opportunity to be positive role models,” says Jen Scaffidi, who is organizing the event with Marianne Psota. “When you’re [a young woman], people don’t take you aside and say, ‘Here are cool things you can do.’ But there’s a whole world of creative expression, and it’s totally open to everyone.”

Men are invited to come down and support their sisters, wives, friends, girlfriends and daughters, or to simply get in touch with their feminine sides. The event begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at Wingfield Park, at First Street and Arlington Avenue.