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Art Festival Returning To Downtown Palm Harbor

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: December 6, 2008

PALM HARBOR - After three years at St. Petersburg College Tarpon Springs Campus, the Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce's annual Fine Arts and Crafts Festival returns to downtown this weekend.

The exhibition will take place along Florida Avenue from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7.

Chamber of Commerce President Connie Davis said everyone is excited about the festival's return to the historic downtown district. Artists love its quaint, hometown feel, she said. Davis hopes the return will increase the festival's turnout by the hundreds or even thousands.

The best artists and crafters from around the area and country have been chosen to showcase their works in a wide variety of artistic mediums, Davis said. There are some really beautiful works, she said.

This year's juried art show, however, had to be scaled down to about 112 artists because of the logistics of laying out a show along Florida Avenue, according to Davis. None of the artists wanted their booths on any other streets, she said.

The Florida Avenue streetscaping project reduced the area along the street that could be utilized for the art exhibition. Before the improvements were made, about 200 artists could fit on the street.

Festival organizers hope to be able to add more artists to the event by convincing some to display their works on other streets, such as 11th and 12th streets, Davis said.

During the art festival food booths will be set up along Florida Avenue, with a children's art area sponsored by the Greater Palm Harbor Branch YMCA. Three musical artist booths will provide a musical background to the show. Restaurants such as Peggy O'Neill's Irish Pub, Thirsty Marlin, Old Town Cafe and Billy Jack's Burger Shack are expected to join in the festivities with food and drink specials.

The following week, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, the chamber will present its Holiday Parade, in the downtown district.

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