Downtown Gainesville Festival & Art Show

July 20, 2015
by
2 mins read

MAKE YOUR PLANS NOW

Art Lovers and Artists Connect In the heart of Gainesville

Art, music, food and the opportunity to enjoy a fall day outdoors is coming to the streets of historic downtown Gainesville this November.  Art lovers and artists will mingle once again as the heart of Gainesville sets the stage for the 34th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show on Nov. 14 & 15.   More than 100,000 people are expected to join in the festivities, a juried fine arts festival, produced by the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department.  Exquisite art work by 240 of the finest artists and craftspeople in the country will decorate the streets from City Hall to the Hippodrome State Theatre as the event runs daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can meet the exhibiting artists, enjoy live music and dancing on three stages and sample international cuisine.

Since 1996, the Downtown Festival & Art Show has ranked among the top festivals in the nation and has steadily climbed in rankings in recent years. The Downtown Festival & Art Show was ranked No. 12 on Sunshine Artist magazine’s “200 Best” list of top fine arts festivals in the nation.

“We are proud of our national ranking, the festival keeps getting bigger and better each year,” Linda Piper, events coordinator said.

Piper has worked with the City of Gainesville’s Cultural Affairs for the past 29 years.  She has produced this fine arts festival for 22 years.  She took a show that was a small event and made it into what it is today, a nationally recognized event.

“When I took over the event 165 artists applied for 160 booth spots and now 22 years later more than 500 artists apply for 240 booth spaces,” Piper said. The arts festival has grown tremendously over the years. The artists love to exhibit in Gainesville because our community supports the arts by purchasing art work.

Visitors can expect to see original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, unique sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography.  “This is a great opportunity to begin your holiday shopping now”, Piper said. “That’s what makes it so successful.  It’s the perfect time of year in Gainesville; the perfect time of the year to purchase one-of-a-kind artwork for that someone special.”

A popular family favorite, the Imagination Station, is a free hands-on art activity area that allows children to create their own art work.  Here they can create chalk murals, design masks, sculpt clay, create puppets and enjoy performances including puppet shows, magic acts and music. Art Education students from the University of Florida work throughout the fall semester to produce this hub of family-friendly fun.

Down the road from the Imagination Station and near the steps of the Hippodrome State Theatre, more than 50 nonprofit organizations educate the crowd about the services they provide to the community. Food booths line the streets and give visitors the chance to indulge in blooming onions, sweet barbecue ribs, hearty Mediterranean pitas, Cajun jambalaya and authentic Thai cuisine. The festival features international dishes from more than 20 food vendors, so no guest leaves hungry.

The festival weekend kicks off Friday at 7 p.m. with a Downtown Blues Concert presented by the North Central Florida Blues Society.  Music from local bands and solo musicians on four stages throughout the festival weekend features a blend of folk, jazz, country, pop and soul genres.  Dance companies also catch the eye of the crowd with ballet, jazz, modern and international dance performances.

The City of Gainesville looks forward to celebrating another successful show and welcomes the community to join in this annual event. Gainesville’s premier fall festival is a celebration of art and culture that you won’t want to miss. For more information visit www.gainesvilledowntownartfest.org or call 352-334-ARTS.

Folio is your guide to entertainment and culture around and near Jacksonville, Florida. We cover events, concerts, restaurants, theatre, sports, art, happenings, and all things about living and visiting Jax. Folio serves more than two million readers across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida, including St. Augustine, The Beaches, and Fernandina.

Current Issue

Recent Posts

SUBMIT EVENTS

Submit Events

Advertisements

Welcome to Rockville 2025
SingOutLoadFestival_TheAmp_2025
omaha-steaks-banners

Date

Title

Current Month

Follow FOLIO!

Previous Story

Modest Mouse – St. Augustine Amphitheatre Review

Next Story

Intriguing Music & Excellent Voices in “AIDA”

Latest from Uncategorized

Carole King is BEAUTIFUL at the Alhambra

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL focuses on thirteen (1958-1971) years in a longer career, and it showcases not only Carole the singer/songwriter, but her first major writing partner, a second writing duo who were competitors and friends, as well as some of the numerous artists that actually recorded their varied

LES MISERABLES is a Tapestry of Sight and Sound

If you love opera, you’ll love LES MISERABLES.  If you don’t love opera, you’ll love LES MISERABLES.  The original story was written in the 1800’s by author and artist Victor Hugo, then adapted in 1980 into a French sung-through musical by Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil.  Five years later, it was

AIR SUPPLY does it All Out of Love at The Florida Theatre

With enduring sounds that tug at heartstrings, duo AIR SUPPLY (with fans fondly known as Airheads) will be live at the Florida Theatre April 11th, 2025.  This is one month before the May 13th celebration of the 50th anniversary of the partnership between singer-songwriter/guitarist Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell

Tedeschi Trucks Band: Roots of Greatness

Words by Teresa Spencer Known for their unique fusion of Southern rock, blues, soul and jam band styles, the Grammy Award-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band has built a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in contemporary music. Hailing from Jacksonville, the powerhouse ensemble led by renowned guitarist

Alhambra’s WEST SIDE STORY is anything but Krupke’d!

Alhambra’s current production of WEST SIDE STORY touts one of the best casts I’ve seen on their stage, and it rivals a few of the touring companies I’ve seen recently.  It is a very moving production, and while there is nothing that youngsters cannot see, it is a tragedy, so
July 5th Cleanup
GoUp