Edmond Arts Festival May 5-7

When you say the words Arts Festival around these parts in the month of April, many folks think of the Oklahoma City Arts Festival which is a wonderful event. I know that we are biased but as much as I like and grew up with the OKC festival, my preference has always been the Edmond Downtown Arts Festival right outside our door.

Ray Hibbard

Our Edmond festival will be held May 5 through May 7th in downtown Edmond of course. My sister is a long-time volunteer at the Oklahoma City event, and I have tried to tear her away for the arts festival in Edmond. She continues to stay loyal to OKC. Maybe next year!

Sponsored by the merchants of the Downtown Edmond Business Association, the event marks the 45th annual year for this award-winning event. “We attract top talent from across the nation to our show,” said Michelle Schaefer, Arts Festival cochair. The proceeds help the downtown merchants pay for marketing that highlights the unique businesses in Downtown Edmond.

There will be 150 artists from thirteen states participating, some from as far away as Florida and Wyoming, highlighting their talents in oil, acrylic, watercolor, jewelry, pottery and photography. There will also be a special section on First Street for Artisan crafters, showing their skills in leather, wood, resin, glass, metal and fabric. Do not miss the artists in the Valor Bank Art Plaza, between Main and Hurd on the west side of the street. Many of those artists are new to our show, so you are sure to see something you have never seen before.

It is put on by the downtown merchants as a gift to our community. Edmond Life & Leisure will once again be the official program producer for the arts festival, and you will see that in our newspaper and around town the week of April 27th. It will also be online and your official guide to all things about this year’s Edmond Downtown Arts Festival.

In addition to all the art, music, food and fun you have come to expect, there are a few new things for you to do. First, we have a smaller, more maneuverable shuttle bus. Now you do not have to worry about trying to find a parking place and walking in the heat and the wind on public streets.

Visitors can park at one of two UCO parking lots on the west side of 1st and University, and board the bus. After a short three-minute ride they will be dropped off at Littler Lawn at 1st and Littler, just a half block away from the arts festival.

The shuttle service will be free, thanks to sponsorship by Visit Edmond, the Edmond Chamber and the Edmond Economic Development Authority. The bus will run every 15 minutes from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, and from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm on Sunday, May 7.

“We often heard of visitors frustrated with the lack of close parking, especially from parents of young children and those with mobility issues,” said Schaefer. “We want to make it easy for anyone to be able to attend without worrying about walking several blocks in the heat and wind.” Compared to the distance you might walk for other

Check out what’s

Always events and festivals; I never thought it was far here in Edmond.

Another event that is new to the Arts Festival is a partnership with Vibes, the first Thursday event sponsored by the Edmond Fine Arts Institute. It will be a wonderful way to get things kicked off before the big event starts on May 5th. Because the downtown streets will be blocked the evening of May 4 for arts festival setup, the FAI will host a "mini-Vibes" on Broadway north of Campbell up to Edwards, then east on Edwards to the FAI offices. There will be artist displays, music and other acts performing on the sidewalks and in local businesses. Downtown restaurants and some shops will be open, so please stay on the sidewalks and use caution when crossing the streets downtown.

You can download the Downtown Edmond app, so you can look for your favorite artist and see the entertainment schedule. Download it from www.downtownedmondok.com or from a QR code when you get there. We will have the QR code in the program as well.

Be sure and venture west down First Street to the Festival Marketplace, where there will be a huge assortment of fun and games for all ages. Look for a large tent to find a variety of children’s activities, such as face painting and a painting project. There will also be a plant vendor and a balloon artist who also does close magic. Check the schedule to see when your favorite princess or superhero will appear.

There will also be some commercial vendors and a first aid station. Look for the giant game area where you can play on a sixteen square foot chess board with 3-foot-tall chess pieces or play a game of giant checkers or Connect 4. There will also be giant interlocking bricks, giant stacking blocks, giant dominoes, ring toss and cornhole games. Also returning are two new activities from last year: free throw games and an 8-foot piano keyboard.

Keep going to the covered pavilion where you can sit in the shade and listen to local school choirs, dance groups and singers. On Saturday at 3 pm there will be a singalong from Disney's "Encanto". An Edmond favorite, the Old Bulldog Band, will perform Saturday evening at 7 pm. Sunday will feature the Magic and Balloon Art of Keith Coast at 2 pm.

There are also three street corner musical venues featuring local favorites such as Edgar Cruz and cellist Sam Kahre. While local restaurants will be open, look for your favorite food vendors to return, in addition to a few new tastes.

Saturday is UCO Day at the Arts Festival. Come to the hospitality tent and have a 360-degree photo taken with Buddy Broncho and the UCO Cheer and Pom Squads. Downtown merchants will donate gifts to put in a giant basket that will be raffled off, with the proceeds donated to Edmond Mobile Meals.

I can tell you the food temptation right outside my office for those three days is incredible. The wonderful smells waft into our office by 9:00 a.m. My all-time favorite is the catfish and I hope the truck will be back again this year. There are a variety of healthy options for these days. The trucks used to be more state fair food but anymore it is gourmet and all of it is freshly prepared. You will not be disappointed with the choices of food.

With so many restaurants in downtown Edmond these days, you have a lot of sit-down options as well. Some folks just prefer to go inside and take a break while being waited on at a table. The choices have never been better and keep improving every year.

For more information on the Arts Festival or other downtown Edmond activities, go to www.downtownedmondok.com, or the arts festival Facebook page @DowntownEdmondArtsFestival. You can also download an app from the web site that gives you all artist locations and scheduled activities.

(Ray Hibbard may be reached by e-mail at ray@edmondpaper.com)

Publisher Ray Hibbard Jr. ray@edmondpaper.com

Partner Christopher T. Hoke

“Four Seasons” in real life is located in front of the Center for Transformative Learning on the University of Central Oklahoma campus, but this week is hidden somewhere in our paper.

Please e-mail contest@edmondpaper.com with the correct location to be entered in the weekly drawing.

Commissioned as a partnership between UCO, the City of Edmond and the Edmond Visual Arts Commission, “Four Seasons” was created by sculptor Kevin Box of New Mexico and was dedicated on the campus on March 24, 2011.

Kevin is a member of the National Sculptor’s Guild. His Box Studio LLC is a strong supporter of the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle concept, using recycled metal as part of the casting process for his sculptures. All of his work is 100 percent recyclable.

For more information on Edmond public art, please visit http://visitedmondok.com/public-art.php.

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