ArtsFest scheduled Oct. 5

The 13th Annual Conway ArtsFest will be held in Downtown Conway on Saturday, Oct. 5. ArtsFest is a celebration of the arts in Conway and is free to attend. 

“The festival features live music and dance, hands-on activities, a community art exhibit, artist demos and vendors, and more,” said co-chair Ronald Jensen-McDaniel.

ArtsFest is divided into two parts. Art in the Park will take place 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Simon Park at 805 Front St. Festivities 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 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Kings Live Music and The Brick Room at 1020 Front St. It is presented by Engage Management.

The Fourth Annual Neighbors Art Show, presented by Engage Management, will take place in The Brick Room beginning at 6 p.m., featuring a juried exhibition of visual art by local artists, including both youth and adults. On Front Street, vendors will sell handmade items and there will be games, hands-on activities, live dance and music performances.

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 Street will include Ukulele Bill, Lady J and the Trebeled Souls, Irby Dance and Stage Door Dance Arts. After 8 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 percent volunteer-run nonprofit based in Conway. For more information and updates, follow Conway Alliance for the Arts on Facebook. Community members may sign up to volunteer at ArtsFest by visiting tiny.cc/artsfest.