By Kate Lohnes
Almost four decades old, and still going strong: the Westerville Music & Arts Festival looks to be as lively as ever this summer, with fine art and quality music for young and old.
Hosted by the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, the festival runs July 11-12 at Heritage Park and Everal Barn. For its 36th season, the festival has plenty of arts, crafts and entertainment on the roster to keep patrons excited, says Heather Ormiston, events coordinator for the Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce.
A big priority for this year’s festival was promoting local talent – Ormiston says organizers have made a conscious effort to increase the number of artists and crafters who come from their community. These artists and crafters even have their own section at the festival, dubbed “The Westerville Walkway.”
“We’ve been focusing on bringing in talent from around the Central Ohio area,” Ormiston says. “There are a number of people from Westerville, residents who make arts and crafts, and we will be bringing in some emerging artists and students from places like the Columbus College of Art and Design, as well.”
At least a dozen Westerville-area and emerging artists will have a presence on the Westerville Walkway, Ormiston says. On the professional arts walkway, Ormiston predicts more than 100 exhibitors from around the country, who bring their paintings, sculpture, glasswork and more.
Westerville resident David Myers, who owns and operates the David Myers Art Studio & Galleries on Main Street, has exhibited his original paintings at the festival for four years. During his time at the festival, says the art he has seen exhibited is of extremely high quality.
“It’s a very high caliber of art,” he says. “Within that quality, there’s a wide variety of subject matter and media. (Festival organizers) do a really good job selecting the artists for the show so it can appeal to a broader spectrum of people.”
The visual arts are only one portion of the entertainment at the festival – Ormiston says musicians, dance troupes, cheer squads and other talented groups will perform on the festival’s two stages throughout the weekend. Saturday’s headlining act is the New Basics Brass Band, while Sunday will be capped by singer/songwriter and Central Ohio native Jared Mahone.
“(Mahone) is an up-and-coming artist from Columbus who has been performing around town quite a bit in the past few years,” Ormiston says. “He’s a great musician who writes all of his own music. It’s really fun and upbeat.”
Both Ormiston and Myers say they expect an increase in visitors to the festival this year, particularly because of the festival’s affordability.
“It’s one of those things you can take the family out to, no matter how young your children are,” Myers says. “It’s something inexpensive and it’s outside. It’s a great way to spend a few hours, especially with today’s economy and the challenges facing families.”
Art fanatics or casual appreciators alike can enjoy the festival, Ormiston says, although some might be a little astonished by what they find.
“The festival is comparable to some of the larger festivals (in downtown Columbus) and in the surrounding areas. I think they’ll be surprised by the variety and the high quality of work. We pride ourselves on bringing in high quality work. I think they’ll be delighted to see what they can purchase and take home with them.”
For more information about the Westerville Music & Arts Festival, visit
www.westervillechamber.com.
Kate Lohnes is assistant editor of Westerville Magazine.
WHEN YOU GO:
The Westerville Music & Arts Festival
WHEN: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. July 11-12
WHERE: Heritage Park & Everal Barn, 60 N. Cleveland Ave.
COST: $1 for adults; kids under 16 years old admitted free