Five reasons to attend an arts festival Lifestyle

Stephanie Landaverde News and Lifestyle Editor

Food, family friendly activities and plenty to buy.

With the Paseo Arts Festival in full swing this Memorial Day, you might consider going.

Here are five reasons to take every opportunity you have to attend art festivals.

1. Supporting local and small businesses

Many of the vendors you’ll see at an art festival are small and local businesses. Whether it’s something small on the side to make some extra money or their entire livelihood, your dollars will help back their business. Plus, have you ever tried to make the art they sell? It may look easy, but it takes time, money and experience. An art piece made with love and care is much more charming than a piece sold to you by a corporation that produced thousands more just like it.

2. Seeing pretty art you wouldn’t usually see I am all for supporting small businesses, but as college students, we often don’t have the funds to buy every pretty thing we see at an art festival. Especially when the artist prices it fairly based on their time, experience and materials. Sometimes we can only afford to buy one item, if that. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the entire experience. At an art festival, a variety of artists come with their art that took them countless hours to create, and many of these artists use different mediums and styles. Time spent looking at pretty or interesting art is not time wasted.

3. It helps boost the local economy

When an event as a big as an art festival takes place, the hosting community benefits immensely from an economic perspective. Visitors boost the local economy both at the festival and off it, according to a 2018 article by the University of Minnesota.

4. New experiences and people You never know who you might meet or what you might experience by going to a festival. Maybe you’ll find a friend or discover a hobby. You could find the live band playing is your new favorite band. An artist might provide you just the right piece to add to your fashion ensemble. Whatever it is, you might find it at the art festival.

5. For fun! The one thing festivals are known for is being fun. So just have fun with it! Regardless of whether you buy, who you talk to or how long you stay, there is something for everyone to enjoy at an art festival.

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