Photo courtesy of Dany Adams
If you have lived in Columbus for a while, then you should know about the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce’s Arts in the Alley music and arts festival hitting the streets – literally – on Sept. 16 and 17. And if you don’t, well, here’s the official scoop.
Named after the festival’s beginnings in the “alley” behind the establishments on Broadway and Park streets, the weekend-long event will feature a lengthy parade, arts and crafts vendors, and musical performances intended to showcase some of the best arts and entertainment in Columbus. Because of its development and growth, both Broadway and Park streets will be shut down during the weekend.
On Saturday, the festival will commence with a parade at 9:30 a.m. starting at Southwest Boulevard, and the festival itself opens to the public at 10 a.m. Tents running along Broadway Street will feature the plethora of arts and crafts, some of which will be for sale, while the musical performances will kick off on the Heartland Stage at the end of Park Street. No matter which way you walk, you’ll be sure to be surrounded by a land of creativity.
Photo courtesy of Dany Adams
Photo courtesy of Dany Adams
Photo courtesy of Dany Adams
Photo courtesy of Dany Adams
This year’s 38th anniversary also marks a turning point for the festival as it adds a few new and exciting events to its regular lineup. The Arts in the Alley will feature a Community Mural Tent, complete with a large canvas and relevant supplies, where visitors will get the chance to add their own splash of creativity to the mural, which will be hung later in the year. In addition, a Demonstration Tent is also being added to allow artists and creators to show off some of their work, teach the audience about some of their techniques and even create a special piece on-scene.
Arts in the Alley is considered one of central Ohio’s largest and longest music and art festivals with more than 40,000 people in attendance each year. Organizers at the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce ensure that there will be no shortage of food for visitors, and what’s more, all the food has been provided by non-profit organizations and churches all around the Columbus area. A range of selections from traditional fair food and more healthful options such as smoothies will be provided all day.
Official hours for Arts in the Alley are as follows: Saturday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Public parking is available with a shuttle running to and from the alleyways every thirty minutes. For more information about festival events, please visit: http://gcchamber.org/arts-in-the-alley/.
Tessa Flattum is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
