Starts tomorrow......

Festival of the Arts -- Oklahoma City's "Rite of Spring" -- is finally here! Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 20 come downtown to take part in your community-wide celebration of the arts and enjoy delicious food, free music and stunning original art.

Festival of the Arts is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Festival of the Arts co-chairs Sandra Orr Cassimus and John Robberson have worked hard to recruit more than 5,000 volunteers and make the 44th Annual Festival of the Arts better than ever. There's something for everyone to enjoy with four stages of performing arts, children's activities, street performers and 144 visual artists exhibiting on Artist Row.

New this year, you can sip some wine in our adults-only Six-day Cellars wine area and check out a new 'green design' art exhibit called rethink recycle redesign. This year's South Hudson Gallery is featuring a solo exhibit dedicated entirely to Bert Seabourn, Festival's longest-running Plaza Artist. Grab a specialty beverage and view his beautiful works for sale in a relaxing gallery setting. And the comedic street performing duo, Project Dynamite, will be entertaining crowds with their hilarious stunts and acrobatic tricks for free several times a day.

International Food Row is featuring more than 120 gourmet food items, representing nine countries! Many delicious favorites have returned like Indian Tacos, Craig and Carter's Fish Tacos,Strawberries Newport and Bodacious Burritos. But there's several new food items from new vendors, such as Sammy Pizza's calzone or chocolate chip pizza, Deep Fork Grill's prime rib slide and drunken fries, Cafe do Brasil's chicken stroganoff or Prato Sao Paulo, and Helmut's Beef Wellington and Bavarian strudel. All entrees are priced at $8 or less, making all options an affordable meal for lunch or dinner. Each food vendor is partnered with a local non-profit agency so each bite goes to support the arts in central Oklahoma.

Festival of the Arts is truly a family-friendly event with an entire area dedicated to children's art activities and music in the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Bring your children to Children's Art Field where they can make three different art projects for just $2 or let them purchase original artwork by the Plaza Artists for just $.50-$5 in the kids-only shopping area, the Young-at-Art Mart. Plus there's an entire Children's Stage dedicated to children's performances, including a youth talent show, and with plenty of kid-friendly food vendors nearby. You can also let your kids get creative and build on to a giant city sculpture called Creation Station -- a free activity in the northwest corner of Myriad Botanical Gardens.

There's even more affordable and free art activities going at Festival of the Arts. Nearly 200 non-stop performances will be take place at Festival's four stages, providing everything from all music genres and dance to fashion shows, art lectures and more! You can also check out our iconic Windscapes collection, which features kinetic art moving in the Oklahoma Wind, and a garden of larger-than-life sculptural works in Lexus Sculpture Park. In Pottery Place you can select, create and fire up a pot or vase starting at $5. In Artful Experience you can watch live art demonstrations in wood carving, ceramics, watercolor and other media. In Artist Market you can purchase reproductions of original works by Festival's Plaza Artists for just $60 or less. Express yourself with face painting for just $1, get a fanciful portrait made at our Caricaturist booth or purchase some festive balloons and flowers.

Please visit Festival of the Arts for lunch, dinner and some all-day fun. All proceeds support the Arts Council of Oklahoma City's events, programs and services that touch nearly one million residents and visitors to our community.

Have a cell phone? View real-time information on our new mobile site, including maps, menus, performances schedules, and artists guides. Just visit ArtsCouncilOKC.com.

I had planned to go either thursday or friday and it looks like both days has a 40% chance of severe weather per koco.com...

I had planned to go either thursday or friday and it looks like both days has a 40% chance of severe weather per koco.com...

That's just normal weather for the festival. Don't let that stop you.

40% chance for springtime in Oklahoma is practically non-existent...go for it!

Went down there today for lunch and the weather is perfect. I had the prime rib sliders and of course a strawberries newport. I heartily recommend both. The burritos that people were eating looked pretty good too. Hopefully the weather holds out so I can grab one of those for lunch tomorrow.

When I worked downtown at CityPlace we had lunch everyday at the Festival when it was open.

When I worked downtown for Southwestern Bell we had lunch everyday at the Festival when it was open, back when it was over at the Civic Center.

Went down there today for lunch and the weather is perfect. I had the prime rib sliders and of course a strawberries newport. I heartily recommend both. The burritos that people were eating looked pretty good too. Hopefully the weather holds out so I can grab one of those for lunch tomorrow.

I too had the prime rib sliders on opening night. They are excellent, but I'd recommend asking for some salt or something to put on them to bring out the flavor. I also got the drunken fries, they were good but don't recommend. Everything at the Deep Fork tent looked great though. Also tried a calzone from Sammy's for the first time. Best calzone I've ever had, although I don't know if it lives to the hype everyone on this site makes it out to be. I'll have to go again when they open in Bricktown. Frozen Cheesecake sucks, don't recommend it for dessert.

It always rains during FofA...it's an official event feature.

I was down there the first night and it was packed already (on a Tuesday). The weather was great. One of my favorite annual events here. They do a great job. I'll try to get some pics up.

I also took a lot of pics in the gardens to document the areas that are going to change drastically over the next year.

Zach Nash has some good photos of the food on his blog: Zach Nash (http://www.zachnash.com/blog/)

can anybody report on the crowds at the festival on game days?

Im very interested if the festival is able to add to the NBA playoffs atmosphere, creating an overall downtown festive vibe. ... Pics greatly encouraged, too. :)

People, get out (if you havent) and support your city! This is great times for OKC - I wish I wasn't half a world away, I usually always return 'home' for the festival.

I attended last nights game as well as the Arts Festival. Between the festivities in front of the Ford Center and the Arts Festival, there was a definite festive atmosphere downtown that I have never personally witnessed. Not bad for a Thursday night game. I anticipate that Saturday's game will be even more well attended. Should the Thunder win, I anticipate a near Mardi Gras like atmosphere downtown after the game.

Additionally, one can take advantage of the food offered at the Festival in lieu of the overprocessed and overpriced offerings inside the Ford Center. The NBA playoffs and Strawberries Newport go very well together.

Judging from the rest of the posts, i am not sure of the relevance, but i thought the quality and diversity of the art was an incredible improvement this year. Kudos to the selection committee.

I'm wondering the how many people will be visiting DT this week? 100k-200k???Festival of The Art's,2(Two) NBA playoff games,And The Memorial Marathon! does anyone know about any estimates?

Driving by the fairgrounds there appears to be a rather large horse show also going on as well. I am sure the hotels all over town are happy this weekend.

Driving by the fairgrounds there appears to be a rather large horse show also going on as well. I am sure the hotels all over town are happy this weekend.

As are the tax collectors.

Friday evening and night was very busy.

Friday evening and night was very busy.

Amen to that! But its awesome nonetheless. The best weather we had all week. We had a great time, as always.

I wonder what the turnover rate is for new artists to join the display? I saw many artists from last year, with some new pieces, but I spotted quite a few pieces that were very familiar.

Oh well, great stuff!

just one question, anybody see any of our esteemed guests from Los Angeles - patronizing the Art's Festival and/or other parts of downtown.

by esteemed guests, I mean LA players, media, and fans/celebs. It would be really cool if they were able to get out and enjoy some REAL Oklahoma City and not just sit in the hotels thinking there's nothing to do.


I suppose I could have done a new thread - but my quesiton is art's festival related. :)

Driving by the fairgrounds there appears to be a rather large horse show also going on as well. I am sure the hotels all over town are happy this weekend.

Last night we called over 30 hotels and only 4 had any rooms left for tonight (4/24).

Also foot and vehicular traffic is INSANE down here today.

just one question, anybody see any of our esteemed guests from Los Angeles - patronizing the Art's Festival and/or other parts of downtown.

by esteemed guests, I mean LA players, media, and fans/celebs. It would be really cool if they were able to get out and enjoy some REAL Oklahoma City and not just sit in the hotels thinking there's nothing to do.


I suppose I could have done a new thread - but my quesiton is art's festival related. :)

Nope to the players. Kept my eyes open for them too.

Nope to the players. Kept my eyes open for them too.

Keep in mind this is a business trip for them. Other activities will be kept to a minimum.

lol - can't tell that on the court (so far). This series arguably should be 3-1 in OKC's favor. and really, if OKC didn't have playoff jitters - OKC could very well have swept the lakers.

But I will settle for any win in LA plus game 6 back at home. in all honesty, I will settle for what we already have - but I HOPE we can get more .......

Can you imagine, if OKC wins game 5 in LA, then comes home to a Friday game (and win) in the city? OMG - there'd better be fireworks, parade, and plenty of restaurants/bars/events open all through the night. I dont think OKC would sleep. ..

Look OUT Utah and the rest of the NBA if that happens (we could very well then sweep Utah, we own them). OMG

Let me not get too ahead of myself though, but this is awesome!! I wish I were in OKC to enjoy it.

I went to both the Arts festival and the fairgrounds on Saturday, I believe that this week will be big for the city's tax collections.

just one question, anybody see any of our esteemed guests from Los Angeles - patronizing the Art's Festival and/or other parts of downtown.

by esteemed guests, I mean LA players, media, and fans/celebs. It would be really cool if they were able to get out and enjoy some REAL Oklahoma City and not just sit in the hotels thinking there's nothing to do.


I suppose I could have done a new thread - but my quesiton is art's festival related. :)


Kobe Bryant saw a movie.

really? at the Harkins? And if so, what was it?

Yep. Clash of the Titans 3D in the afternoon. He has his own security detail.

Also, not as "cool," I guess, but you asked about fans as well. I went to the Memorial Museum early today after I left the Arts Festival. The group buying tickets ahead of me were from California. I assume they were here for the games and spent an extra day sightseeing.

yes, I'd like to know about the entire experience: what are visitors doing and what do they think about our city: players, fans, and other folks not here for the NBA but obviously from out of town. ....

Glad Kobe was able to see a movie, and in downtown. Im not sure he would be able to do that in Los Angeles - so maybe OKC isn't as boring as many of those New York journalists (who obviously were ONLY relying on stereotypes instead of actually coming to OKC for more than one day and seeing the city for themselves.

This is why Im intersted what local OKC people observe from visitors and what visitors in town are doing. ... This is the TRUE story of whether OKC is a success or not - by what visitors to the city are doing and thinking, what are the expressions on their face, and what do they say/ask? This is where the city can really learn about itself and improve where the city is lacking or wants to protray/change a different image.

people, keep 'em coming (should we start a new thread for this?)

This COULD be a new cool spring right of passage. Arts Festival and NBA Playoffs going on simultaneously, not to mention, at a revamped Myriad Gardens that will allow the festival to finally expand.

Yep. Clash of the Titans 3D in the afternoon. He has his own security detail.



Did he use the Brad Henry entrance? lol

...I went to the Memorial Museum early today... ...The group buying tickets ahead of me were from California. I assume they were here for the games and spent an extra day sightseeing.
You might be surprised. This is actually not a safe assumption. The OKC National Memorial has tracked zip codes for years, and California is generally right behind Oklahoma and Texas as the third most common state from which their visitors come.

You might be surprised. This is actually not a safe assumption. The OKC National Memorial has tracked zip codes for years, and California is generally right behind Oklahoma and Texas as the third most common state from which their visitors come.

That and the fact that it's not likely that very many Californian's came here for the game. I'm not familiar with details about tickets given to the visiting team but it was obvious from observing the crowd that Laker fans were minimal unless they were wearing Thunder t-shirts. It's not like going to a football bowl game or even a regular season college game were the visiting team is given a fairly substantial number of tickets. I'm guessing that most Laker fans who bought tickets got them from a ticket broker.

or were OKCitians who don't have enough pride to be fans of the local team.

or were OKCitians who don't have enough pride to be fans of the local team.

I am not a big BB fan. Doesn't mean that I don't have pride in my city. By that logic, anyone who doesn't actively support all the arts, community festivals, sports, etc. doesn't have pride in their town. There are only 24 hours in a day and so many dollars in the wallet.

Penny, they obviously have enough pride to wear a Lakers jersey and show up to the game in their home town (OKC), but not enough pride to be a fan of their own hometown team, but are probably LA fans because "Kobe" is the "cool" NBA guy.

Penny, they obviously have enough pride to wear a Lakers jersey and show up to the game in their home town (OKC), but not enough pride to be a fan of their own hometown team, but are probably LA fans because "Kobe" is the "cool" NBA guy.

If you are just talking about sports fans, it makes better sense what you are saying. Gotcha.

Or maybe they are life-long LA fans. Just because you live in a certain city doesn't mean you have to be a fan of the team. If you were to move to Dallas would you automatically be a fan of the Mavericks?