Gainesville's Downtown Festival & Art Show

The soulful sound of blues will usher in the Downtown Festival & Art Show weekend Friday, Nov. 15 with a free Downtown Blues Concert at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza from 7 to 10 p.m. This concert is presented by the North Central Florida Blues Society.
Big Time Juke & the Joints opens this soul-moving show to get the crowd going with their infectious blues tunes. The R. Mutt Blues Band will follow with “American standard” blues featuring updated reinterpretations of traditional blues classics as well as their own original blues compositions. Two time winners of the North Central Florida Blues Society Gainesville Blues Challenge, R. Mutt is representing north central Florida at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis on Jan. 25, 2014. Headlining the concert is Brandon Santini, a Memphis vocalist and harmonica player bursting at the seams with passion and pure talent. He is sure to satisfy one’s hunger for music and culture with his deliciously smooth sound. His album “This Time Another Year” came in at no. 12 on the March 2013 Living Blues Chart. This soon-to-be legend began crafting tunes on his harmonica at the young age of 15, and his following has steadily increased since that fateful year in 1997.
These well-known entertainers will join talented artists for the Downtown Festival & Art Show. This nationally recognized festival transforms downtown Gainesville into a venue for award-winning artists and draws a crowd of more than 100,000 visitors. Presented by the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, the festival celebrates its 32nd anniversary and will take place Saturday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the tree-lined streets of downtown Gainesville, from City Hall to the Hippodrome State Theatre. For two days, visitors can leisurely stroll through historic downtown and marvel at works from more than 250 of the nation’s most talented artists, who display their original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, captivating sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography. Art lovers can interact with artists while finding unique gifts for family and friends or purchase artwork for their own collection. They can also savor local and international cuisine and listen to live music performed on three stages. Children also have the chance to enjoy the festival and get creative at the Imagination Station, a free hands-on art activity area. For more information visit www.gvlculturalaffairs.org or call 352-334-ARTS.