Conway – The 13th annual Conway ArtsFest will be held in downtown Conway on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. ArtsFest is a celebration of the arts in Conway and is completely free to attend. “The festival features live music and dance, hands-on activities, a community art exhibit, artist demos and vendors, and more,” says co-chair Ronald Jensen-McDaniel.
ArtsFest is divided into two parts. Art in the Park will take place in the morning in Simon Park at 805 Front St. from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The festivities at Simon Park will include hands-on activities, demonstrations, performances, and vendors of handmade goods.
A hands-on youth art activities tent will be presented by Kiwanis of Conway. Local groups UCA Vote Everywhere, UCA Japanese Club, Hendrix Japanese Club, UCA Department of History, the Faulkner County Library, and the Wisdom House Project will also run activities. UCA Clay Club and ceramic artist Chris Swasta of Rolling Hills Pottery will perform demonstrations with clay, and artist Jessica Jones will lead a collaborative painting activity.
Kiwanis will also grill free hot dogs for children. The STEAM Roller mobile makerspace from the Arkansas Innovation Hub and the Artmobile from the Arkansas Arts Center will be at the festival, inviting attendees into their mobile spaces to do hands-on projects and experience visual art in a gallery.
Performances on the Kris Allen Stage will include the Conway Symphony Orchestra, Hendrix Dancers, Conway School Choirs, the Bearbones Trombone Choir and more. Vendors selling handmade items will include Organized Chaos, Bang Up Betty, Tania Póo, Independent Living Services, Rolling Hills Pottery, Sulac Arts Stuff, and Isaac Helguera.
Light Up the Night will take place in the evening, at Kings Live Music and The Brick Room at 1020 Front St., from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Light Up the Night is presented by Engage Management.
The 4th Annual Neighbors Art Show, presented by Engage Management, will take place in The Brick Room beginning at 6:00 p.m., featuring a juried exhibition of visual art by local artists, including both youth and adults. On Front St., vendors will sell handmade items, games and hands-on activities will take place, and live dance and music performances will occur.
Vendors of handmade items will include Drunk Trunk, Krystal Bijoux Jewelry, Katy Raines Designs and AR-T’s. Little Rock artist Hannah Lawrence will lead attendees through a macramé project.
Evening performances on Front St. will include Ukulele Bill, Lady J, and the Trebeled Souls, Irby Dance and Stage Door Dance Arts. After 8:00 p.m., additional performances will take place inside Kings Live Music, with a $5 cover charge. Conway band CosmOcean will perform as the headliner of the night.
Conway ArtsFest is hosted by Conway Alliance for the Arts, a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit based in Conway. For more information and updates, follow Conway Alliance for the Arts on Facebook at facebook.com/ConwayArtsFest. Community members may sign up to volunteer at ArtsFest by visiting tiny.cc/artsfest.
ArtsFest Schedule
- 10 am – 2 pm | Art in the Park | 805 Front St. | More Info
- 6-10 pm | Light Up the Night | Kings Live Music & The Brick Room | More Info
- 6-9 pm | 4th Annual Neighbors Art Show | The Brick Room | More Info
Latest news in Conway and for Conway Scene.
Hi! My name is Myracle White. I am the emergency services manager for CAPCA. My daughter performed with the Ida Burns choir during this year’s art fest! The event was amazing and my girls had a blast of fun! This was great for me because it was free! I’m reaching out to you today to see if the art community would like to participate in CAPCA ‘s annual “Deck the Box” holiday food drive! It’s a fun was to get involved! Organizations decorate a box for the holidays and collect food for pur pantry! If you guys could help that would be amazing! Feel free to contact me @ 501-329-3891 for more information!
Awesome. Glad your daughter had a great time. We have some pics on our Facebook Page. I would recommend reaching out to the two arts-related groups in Conway.