To everything there is a season, and spring is a time for creativity. Birds make intricate nests, trees and flowers produce leaves and beautiful blossoms … and hundreds of skilled professionals gather in Bicentennial Park to put together six days of imaginative entertainment. The Festival of the Arts returns April 24-29.
It’s an event with a 50-year pedigree that has been known to draw somewhere around three quarters of a million people to downtown per year, and the spectacle assembled by Arts Council OKC is perennially a joy to see, hear, taste and experience.
The primary draw is probably the visual art – which is to be expected when selecting 12 dozen presenters from a nationwide pool of more than 450 applicants, then adding a massive sculpture garden, glass blowing and pottery demonstrations and a giant collaborative sculpture open to audience input. On the other hand, the fest also boasts entertainers of all ages ranging from musical guests such as Porch Mice, Spaghetti Eddie and the Hi-Def Howlers to Magic Brian (“the Conjuror of Comedy”) and the Festival’s Got Talent youth competition. There’s even plenty to keep kids engaged, including crafts, face painting and the return of the children-only Young-at-Art-Mart. And the 30 participating food vendors and culinary arts demonstrations should be perfect for fueling as much exploration as visitors can fit into their schedules.
More details are available at artscouncilokc.com; set a date to create some enjoyable memories.
