Leave it to the creativity of the Anacortes Arts Festival team to come up with new and fascinating activities to embellish the always popular Arts Festival, now in its sixth decade. Named one of the top 100 fine arts fairs in the country, 275 booth artists will again paint the historic city streets in a multitude of colors and textures this Friday through Sunday.
New this year is Ink Alley, an indie craft area featuring a younger, more urban aesthetic using repurposed and environmentally friendly materials.
A circus troupe performs on Saturday, and local dancers on Friday. There’s music galore throughout the festival, including more local than ever this year, with the 8th Street stage devoted to local singer/songwriters.
Hungry? In addition to the Island Eatery Food Court, increasingly popular food trucks will be dispersed throughout the festival streets to satisfy your hunger wherever you’re shopping, listening, or watching.
If that’s the demonstrations at the Working Studios arena, you may find a young artist painting graffiti on a big metal storage container later to be housed at the city’s Depot. Or how about living sculptures or an interactive steampunk installation (come see for yourself what this is!)? Plus, there’ll be blacksmithing by metal doyen Paul Thorne, mural painting by Kathleen Faulkner, stone sculpture, and chalk painting.
Finally, ease on down for a break at the new Port Stage and Waterfront Pub, then explore the Arts at the Port “Earth, Air, Water” show, with work by over 40 artists. The show runs July 28 – Aug. 3 during Festival hours; opening event July 26, 6 pm. You especially won’t want to miss “Vessel,” an amazing wooden bowl by Aaron Haba, some 10 feet wide by 10 feet high!
Volunteers help make the Anacortes Arts Festival the star attraction that it is, enabling the organization to give some $55,000 in grants back to the community. The major recipient is youth arts, including the school district cultural arts program, artists in residence; also funding for musical instruments, arts equipment, and summer camps for students. Additional support is provided to Fidalgo Dance, MoNA, the music at the Anacortes Farmers Market, and more.
While it’s said that “Every day is a great day in Anacortes,” the three celebratory days of Arts Festival weekend are not to be missed.
All events are free to the public.