Last Saturday, October 13th, the Pleasanton Firehouse Arts center hosted ‘Ignite! 2.0’, a festival that celebrates music, art, science, and innovation. The event took place downtown along Railroad Avenue and Division Street.

Several different groups entertained audiences, including EGO – UC Berkeley’s Traditional Korean Percussion Group, Hart Middle School’s Hartbeat Singers, Lucid DreamScapes, and Firelight Society (a group of fire performers).

There were also 35 booths set up alongside the streets that represented the Museum on Main, Pleasanton Art League, Pleasanton Middle Schools, Foothill High School, Icicles, the City of Pleasanton Library, Creatures of Impulse, and Pleasanton High Schools CTE.

A number of Amador students were involved in the event, reflecting the musical as well as the innovative aspects of the festival. The AV Botz team showcased their robotic submarine and spoke to guests about what they do as well as how they compete.

“We as a club often go out to present what is possible through determination and a motivation to try what’s new — from only what we know, we’re able to make a submarine that’s able to compete with and beat other engineering universities. In other words, we try to increase the community’s awareness about the possibilities in robotics and engineering, through showcasing what we’ve accomplished,” said member of AV Botz, Calvin Qin (‘19).

Members of the High School Music Collaborative, which included three Amador students, performed 6 original songs and a traditional Chinese Zither piece.

“It was such a cool event to be a part of. Not only did I get to perform with my friends, which was really fun, but I also got to see other people’s amazing art. It’s an awesome celebration of the creativity in our community! ” said Lauryn Hedges (‘20).

The Chinese Zither was a treat for audiences, as many have never heard this particular instrument played, especially in a collaborative manner.

“I’m really happy to introduce this instrument to the community because it has a history of more than 2,000 years. It’s my honor to work with my team and also to make my traditional music collaborative as well with them,” said Yuwei Dou (‘20).

This is only the second year that this event has been hosted, but has become a great way for people in the community to celebrate the creative arts and the innovation programs that are here in Pleasanton.