Building community through performance art

As we increasingly live online, there is a need for in-person events to build community in the cities we live in. We’re craving connection with like-minded people in spaces that aren’t home or work.

Whether it’s a large production or an intimate dinner party, no gesture is too small to bring people together in a meaningful, intentional way.

Avalon Willows started P’zonefest, an interactive variety show, as a joke back in 2015. Ten years later, it’s grown to a larger production that the creative community looks forward to.

—Alexa

Interview with Avalon Willows, founder & creator of P’zonefest

You’ve been running P’zonefest for the last 10 years. What is it, and can you dive into some of the lore behind why you started it?

Alright, buckle up. P’zonefest is a party/interactive variety show I created that combines comedy, music, performance art, and visual art. It’s lowbrow, inclusive, and engineered to guarantee fun. At this point, I ask my network of artist friends to prepare something special for the event, whether visual art, performance art, or music—think a one-off “bit” or a premiere. I curate the show, make most of the merch and decor, and plan various other surprises for the night. 

It started as a joke–I had an alter ego on Facebook called “Horsemeat Detox”, who was a mysterious character that posted in typos and had an overall aesthetic of bootleg pop culture–perhaps an early version of what we now refer to as “slop”. At the time, there was a Seattle event called Pizzafest, which I felt inspired to make a bizarro version of via a Facebook event page. I thought it would be funny to create an event a year or two into the future called “P’zonefest”, get people committed with the attendance response buttons, then post a bunch of fake performance announcements so that all confirmed attendees would get a notification every time. Basically just some good-natured trolling. Posts would be something like a stock photo of a gymnast with a caption saying “JUST ANNOUNCED–Peter McGillicutty will be teaching a backflipping workshop on the Pepperoni Stage at 5pm, you can’t miss this!” or “Shy Andy the child mime will be busking outside of P’zonefest with his accordion, be sure to give him a quarter or he will curse your family!” So, I did this for months and months, until eventually it got very close to the proposed date (June 6, 2015), when I ultimately decided I had to make it a reality. I was living in a big house in Seattle owned by a prolific slumlord. I think I had 6 or 7 roommates, always a rotating cast of characters. Did we have a door on every room? No. Could we do pretty much whatever we wanted? Yes! So naturally, the venue for the first P’zonefest was my house. I strategically arranged a bunch of junk in the house upstairs and called it an art gallery. I had friends who just picked up on the general silly vibe of the Facebook event and ran with a bizarro performance, which birthed the running prompt. Everyone had so much fun that I kept getting asked when the next one was. 

After that summer, I moved to Los Angeles, but I was able to work with C.M. Ruiz at Nii Modo (a since-closed DIY space in Wallingford) to do another in 2018, then another in 2019 at Non Plus Ultra, another DIY space in LA. This last one (2025) was my first since moving back to Seattle at Baba Yaga in Pioneer Square, a larger venue/bar. So, it’s slowly grown over the years, with things like formal ticketing and the resources at our disposal, but I’m pleased to say the general ethos has remained the same. I try not to compromise that.

Even though it’s not always an annual event, what’s made you want to keep coming back and doing it rather than just having it as a one-off?

The biggest thing that keeps me coming back is the community. Not only can I see how much fun everyone is having in the moment, but people who attend approach me after (sometimes even years later!) and say the most kind and positive things about their experience at P’zonefest. 

I love creating a real, physical space where people can show up and have an unforgettable time. Social gatherings are so important, especially in our small city, as our lives become increasingly online. The process of planning this thing is rigorous — I put in so much time, energy, and my own money. In the days leading up to the event, I always think, “I’m never putting myself through this again!” But then the day comes when everything works out perfectly, it’s one of the best days of my life, and I start planning the next one all over again. 

At the end of the day, it’s so worth it, and the entire time, the event just feels so magical. Luckily, there’s no recurring expectation, so I can just do it when the timing is right and I feel truly inspired. However, I do hope I can make P’zonefest more regular and even plan some P’zone-adjacent events that are less intense throughout the year, which was actually my plan to do after the 2019 party, but then 2020 hit.

There were some really cool touches for the event (hand-painted t-shirts, vendors, acts, etc.). What kind of feeling did you want to create for attendees?

I love making people feel included and allowing all attendees to interact or participate in some way. For instance, in between stage performances this year, we had group karaoke and line dancing that the audience could opt into. 

I try to make every little detail of P’zonefest something that brings me pure joy, no matter how stupid it is (and honestly, the stupider the better). I want attendees to focus on having fun and not worry about being perceived or taking themselves too seriously. 

I’ve found that people like to have something to do at a party, and there’s lots to do at P’zonefest. Overall, I’m trying to duplicate the feeling of experiencing art that gives you equal parts awe, joy, and hilarity—like seeing Weird Al at the Hollywood Bowl!

What’s been some of the reception you’ve received for this last event, and how will you use it to plan the next one? That said, how do you want to continue to grow the event in the future?

I’m very pleased to say the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Specifically, I think everyone really loved having more of a theme to play with! It functions as a prompt when everyone is a participant, and I love that. 

At past P’zonefests, I was always resistant to the idea of a theme. It had traditionally been a mismatched collage, and I loved the chaos of that. I was worried that if there were a proper theme, it would turn it into The [insert theme here] Party. All except the first P’zonefests have had names: P’zonefest 2 Fast 2 Furious 2k18, P’zonefest 90210: San Andreas, and (this last one) P’zonefest 2025: Coyote Fugly. “Coyote Fugly” popped into my head after the 2019 party simply as a funny play on the 2000 film “Coyote Ugly”. As I started planning and things fell into place, I leaned into using that movie as a throughline and probably watched it a dozen times for inspiration. I’m already working on the next one, and I won’t spoil the surprise, but there definitely will be a theme, and I think people are going to have a lot of fun with it. 

What’s one creative project that you’re working on now? 

I created a character named Sheridynn Towelslee, who is a shameless, tone-deaf, and ultimately failing aspiring Internet influencer. Right now, she exists on Instagram, TikTok, and Yelp, in the form of aggressively face-tuned photos of me and long-winded captions loaded with personal life TMI. She was created after I logged back on after an Instagram break and realized it had turned into an ad-ridden corporate hellscape full of accounts trying to sell me something at every turn. At this point, I want to move her story out of posts and into a longer form, so I’m starting to write a short film about her. 

What’s one piece of advice you have for any fellow creative?

Never take art too seriously. I think what matters most in creative expression is authenticity. Technical ability is an amazing tool, but just because you didn’t go to art school or because you do something nontraditional doesn’t mean you can’t be an artist. I spent a lot of my life stuck in my shell because I kept comparing myself to my peers who seemed to be doing more creatively than I was. When I realized that I could be slow and steady, amateur, and imperfect in my creative work, it felt like the world opened up.

Follow Avalon and P’zonefest here.