The streets of Downtown Owensboro will come alive with color and music on September 5 as the East Bridge Art and Music Festival celebrates its fifth year, this time in a new location.
Previously held just east of the blue bridge, the event will move to Smothers Park for 2015. “We were east of the bridge the first four years and now the bridge is east of us,” said Katherine Taylor, who started the festival with her sister, Christy Taylor Chaney, in 2011.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the park and side streets will become an art lover’s haven. Approximately 60 artists are expected to participate in the festival. “You should expect to see a lot of different art forms,” Taylor said. “It’s a very laid back atmosphere to celebrate the arts.”
It’s also a great event for children. Kids tents sponsored by Independence Bank provide a chance for budding artists to get in touch with their creativity, offering a place where they can craft several small art projects for free.
The street chalking contest, a crowd favorite featuring chalk murals on the streets, will return this year. “Anyone can do the contest,” said Taylor. “It’s usually schools and businesses but you could get a group of friends together.” The registration form for the contest is available online at www.eastbridgeart.com.
Live music will set the tone for the day and local restaurants will offer up food for hungry festival goers. “We try very hard to keep it local or keep it with local connections,” said Christy Chaney. “We ask all vendors to serve us something unique. No hamburgers or hotdogs.” She added that it’s not a festival to her until she’s had a tomato pie from the Miller House, who has supported the festival from the beginning and handles the food logistics. Anyone interested in being a food vendor should contact Miller House owner Larry Kirk.
The shift to the park comes because the sisters have moved their store, Studio Slant, from Second Street to 624 Emory Drive, but they wanted to keep the festival downtown for an artsy vibe.
The event continues to grow, drawing more than 10,000 people into downtown last year. The new location will quell worries about space limitations and the organizers are pleased.
Said Chaney: “Now as we get bigger and bigger each year, the sky is the limit.”
