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An Avenue of the Arts

America's Fair This year’s Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts promises to be the biggest and best yet. Returning for its 9th year on August 23rd and 24th, the festival stretches along the Elmwood Strip and features hundreds of artists, musicians, dancers and craftspeople.

More than 170 artists selling work in 16 different mediums will line Elmwood Avenue, from Lafayette through West Ferry. You’ll be able to see over 50 performances on three stages, including John and Mary and the Valkyries and modern dance by Pick of the Crop. You can even eat along the street with a festival café with a dozen vendors selling everything from battered veggies to hot dogs to juices made in solar-powered blenders.

Kidsfest will continue this year, with an area where children can do hands-on arts projects, see kids-oriented performances and march in Sunday’s Kidsfest parade at 4 p.m. This year’s theme is the Garden. Using imagery of flowers and fruits, butterflies and birds, the earth and worms and all things that grow, children will be able to make their own crafts and learn about the world we live in.

An important aspect of the festival is environmentalism. Environmental Row features 10 booths demonstrating things that we can do to help sustain the planet. In addition, two of the stages will be solar powered this year. Cultural Row will also line the avenue, with 30 local and regional organizations that are working to better the community.

Elmwood Village was recently voted one of the country’s top ten neighborhoods by the American Planning Association. This event is produced and presented by the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, Inc., a cultural not-for-profit organization. For more information, visit www.elmwoodartfest.org