ArtWalk on Main returns to downtown Longmont Saturday afternoon. The public event showcases local artists, merchants and performers.
Main Street from Longs Peak Avenue to Third Avenue will be closed for the walkable celebration on Sept. 10. The 5-block festivities run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Musicians and other live acts will perform on stages on every block.
ArtWalk, presented by the Firehouse Art Center, gathers 180 vendors, according to Firehouse Executive Director Elaine Waterman. The types of talent attending are broad from painters and photographers to fire dancers and stilt walkers.
“2021's ArtWalk was an amazing blend of community, music, art and creativity. I can only hope that we have a repeat of the same,” Waterman wrote in an email. “ArtWalk is the culmination of our Summer Festival Season, and we have had such a great time connecting the community to artists and live performances. ArtWalk is our last Summer hurrah and a welcome to Fall. Truly, the ability to introduce the public to a new musician or a new artist is really what we love, and we hope that outcome happens 100 times over!”
Leading up to Saturday’s large ArtWalk, Firehouse hosted a smaller walk with its Summer on the Streets on Kimbark Street. The last Summer on the Streets featured the CHALKMONT event where 10 artists competed to win the best chalk drawing. The winner of the competition will be announced during the ArtWalk.
Live art demonstrations, or “artists-in-action,” will take place throughout Main Street. Waterman said some demos visitors can expect to see include clay throwing, an artist making mardi gras float flowers, a group making pinewood derby race cars and an interactive loom where the public can join the artist in weaving yarn and scraps of fabric.
Visitors are welcomed to step out of the audience, and participate in art activities themselves. At Main Street businesses and booths, there will be activities for artists of all ages.
