THE WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL
THE WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL SUPPORTING ART EDUCATION AND APPRECIATION SINCE 1960
THE FESTIVAL
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HE WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL debuted in March of 1960 as a community project to bring local artists and art lovers together. It’s produced by an all-volunteer board and draws up to 350,000 visitors each year. Over 1,100 artists apply annually to participate, and an independent panel of three judges select the 225 artists and three emerging artists who will exhibit their works. The Festival, set in historic downtown Winter Park, Florida, consistently ranks as one of the top juried fine-art festivals in the country. During Festival weekend, artists’ booths are nestled under large oak trees throughout Central Park and along Park Avenue, a picturesque bricked thoroughfare known for boutique shops and outdoor cafes and bistros. The three-day event traditionally starts on the third Friday of March each year. One of Central Florida’s largest annual outdoor events, the Festival also features a wide variety of entertainment on the stage in Central Park, food and beverages to please the whole family, a popular exhibit of student art from Central Florida schools and interactive art activities for kids hosted by local museums and learning centers.
THE FOUNDATION The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Foundation, Inc. provides grants to promote community appreciation of the arts and supports art education through scholarships and programs. The Foundation supports the Children’s Workshop, the Leon Theodore Schools Exhibit, the Emerging Artists Program, the Image Review Workshop and Performing Arts at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. It also funds the Jean Alice Oliphant Scholarship at Rollins College in Winter Park and the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Scholarship at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Since 2008, the Foundation has had a continuing mission to enhance art appreciation, art education and community spirit. The Internal Revenue Service approved the Foundation, a Florida not-for-profit corporation, as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity in September of 2008.
The Knowles Memorial Chapel on the campus of Rollins College is an iconic Winter Park structure. Built in 1932, it was designed by renowned architect Ralph Adams Cram.
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Visitors and residents alike enjoy the Scenic Boat Tour, which winds its way through the Venetian-type canals that connect the Winter Park Chain of Lakes.
Winter Park’s official symbol is the peacock — and you might see one anywhere. This colorful peafowl is perched on Veterans’ Memorial Fountain in Central Park.
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Park Avenue has plenty of charming cafés for outdoor dining — and dogs are more than welcome at most of them.
Many people visit Winter Park by riding SunRail, a commuter train that has a stop in Central Park. In fact, the Winter Park station is one of the most popular along the system’s route.
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The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is inspiring to everybody — but especially kids. A popular activity for young people is easel painting, which attracts more than 1,000 participants each year.
People-watching can be as much fun as viewing artwork at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. Most artists are at their booths, so you can ask them questions about their work.
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It takes a lot of energy to visit hundreds of artists’ booths — so it’s nice to take a break and visit the many food vendors who set up shop at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival.
Park Avenue is one of the most beautiful thoroughfares in Central Florida, thanks in part to historic buildings like the art deco Colony Theater, which now contains shops.
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Among Winter Park’s one-of-a-kind museums is the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. The Morse is world-famous for its collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Another one-of-a-kind museum in Winter Park is the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, which features more than 200 works by Czech-born sculptor Albin Polasek.
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You never know what you’ll find along Park Avenue. In the Hidden Garden section, a koi pond is surrounded by restaurants, shops and boutiques.
The Winter Park Golf Course is a 9-hole layout that’s one of the oldest in Florida. It was completely renovated in 2016 and attracts players of all skill levels.
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One of Winter Park’s loveliest public spaces is Kraft Azalea Gardens, located on the shores of Lake Maitland. The exedra is a popular spot for weddings or for just relaxing and gazing out over the lake. You might even catch a glimpse of the Rollins College rowing teams practicing.
One of Winter Park’s resident heroes was Chief Master Sgt. Richard Hall Jr., who was one of World War II’s original Tuskegee Airmen. You can see a statue of Master Sgt. Hall at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center, a museum devoted to the history of the city’s Hannibal Square neighborhood.
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Central Park is the place to be on the opening Friday night of the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival. There’s a big jazz concert with major headliners as well as other entertainment all weekend long.
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Coloring Book was produced in March, 2021 by the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Foundation in conjunction with Winter Park Magazine. Drawings by John Nadeau This project was made possible by a grant from The Joe & Sarah Galloway Foundation.
P.O. Box 597, Winter Park, FL 32790 • 407-644-7207 • wpsaf@wpsaf.org • wpsaf.org