CLEARFIELD – Although it is still several months away, plans are already in the works for the second-ever Clearfield Art on the River Today (ART) festival. The juried art festival will be held Aug. 20 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Market Street.
“We started the art festival to give a venue to our local artists,” said Patricia Simon of The Liddle Gallery and one of the event’s organizers. She said it will again feature performing, literary and fine arts venues, but they would like to grow its media/film-making venue, which will be located outside of the Ritz Theater.
For the first-ever festival last year, she said they had 28 fine arts vendors. “This year, our goal is to grow and have 40, and we already have 19 signed up,” Simon said, adding that organizers will continue to accept vendors through August.
According to her, the art festival’s organizers would like to provide a lot more “exciting, fun” activities for children and for the whole family to enjoy. “We want it to be interactive, family-friendly and exciting,” she said. She noted their popularity last year with a line of children that never ended for the balloonist, which has them hoping to have two available this year.
Simon said the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre will entertain at the performing arts venue, along with there being local dancers and a puppet show, and a local film group will be featured at the media venue outside of the Ritz Theater. She added that, “We want to work together to grow the arts and showcase our local talents.
“Our downtown is really beautiful and starting to come back. It is a wonderful place right now with all these little shops opening up and the riverwalk. We are expecting a really nice turn out.” And, Simon is hoping to add a juggler to the mix of face painters, balloonists and stilt walkers to increase the entertainment value, noting it’s all free of charge to attendees.
Additionally, she’s hoping to add more art demonstrations for pottery and blown glass and chain saw carving. Simon said Jody Grumblatt, owner of The Liddle Gallery in downtown Clearfield, will also offer art activities and events in conjunction with the Clearfield ART festival.
Simon said she has been planning the Clearfield ART festival with Main Street Manager Loretta Wagner of the Clearfield Revitalization Corp. (CRC). She said it would not be possible without Wagner’s knowledge and effort, and she’s been the “driving force” to bring the art festival to the Clearfield community.