Columbus Arts Festival Preparing to Kick-Off Summer Event Season

This year the Greater Columbus Arts Council celebrates the 45th anniversary of its premiere community event — the 2006 Columbus Arts Festival presented by Chase — with 300 talented and accomplished artists from across the country and Canada, expanded musical offerings this year including the Broad Street Club stage, the Community Stage and an array of central Ohio's hottest acts on the Bicentennial Stage. Also back this year is the Ohio Magazine sponsored Poetry Corner/Coffeehouse where spoken word performers will share their talents with the public.

Begun in 1962 as the "Downtown Festival of the Arts" on the Ohio Statehouse lawn, the Columbus Arts Festival has been providing the central Ohio community with the best in visual arts, music, poetry and local foods four days a summer, for over forty years. Featuring strolling musicians and a relaxed, gallery-like setting perfect for browsing the best selection of art, the festival has attracted over 1200 artist applicants from across the country.

Returning again this year are great hands-on activities in the Adult Art Activity and Children's Art Activity areas, where Festival visitors are encouraged to get involved and create their own masterpiece to take home. All activities and performances are free and open to the public.

"Artists recognize the Columbus Arts Festival as one of the finest outdoor arts and crafts festivals in the country," said Katie Lucas, Festival Director. "And for forty five years, the people of Columbus have made our Festival the city's favorite community event of the summer. With the support of our dedicated volunteers and the generous support of our sponsors, the Columbus Arts Festival continues to be a rousing success."

Each year over 600,000 locals and visitors alike engage in central Ohio's largest outdoor attraction, making the Columbus Arts Festival the can't miss event of the summer.

Parking is Plentiful.

Not only is it fun and free, the arts festival is easy to get to. Downtown Columbus offers cheap, accessible meter parking, dozens of above ground lots, and parking garages close by — all inexpensive and within walking distance of the Festival. Wheelchair-accessible parking is available on the north side of Rich Street between Ludlow and Front Streets, and on the Town Street Bridge (entering from the west side of the river). Wheelchairs are available for use by the public at the information/volunteer tent on Town Street just east of Civic Center Drive. COTA will operate regularly scheduled bus service during each day of the festival.

For more information on the Columbus Arts Festival, call (614) 224-2606 or visit the Greater Columbus Arts Council's website (www.gcac.org) for a complete list of artist, entertainers, stage schedules and interactive arts activities.