The streets of downtown Gainesville will undergo a cultural explosion Saturday and Sunday.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the public is invited to see, hear and taste different parts of the globe at the 33rd annual Downtown Festival & Art Show.
Hosted by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the event will host about 250 artists from across the country and will likely attract more than 100,000 people, said Bill Hutchinson, the festival entertainment coordinator.
“People are going to have the time of their lives celebrating the arts with all of their friends in perfect weather,” Hutchinson said.
He said people can expect a combination of art, food and music including brass bands, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll.
The festival will be staffed with volunteers who were recruited well in advance, Hutchinson said.
“We create a space where our artists and musicians feel welcomed and the city is shown to its best advantage,” he said.
O’Reilly & Co. will be taking one of the three stages at the festival. The family group has been playing Irish folk music for almost 20 years. The group’s frontman, John Johnson, said listeners can expect a lot of vocals and Irish-inspired melodies Sunday afternoon.
“We are more of a singing band than instrumental,” he said.
Tom Blake, a bartender at Lillian’s Music Store, said the festival works well with local businesses.
“It’s a bunch of people downtown,” Blake said.
He said it increases foot traffic at the bar, as well as other restaurants in the area.
Blake recalled when the festival was significantly smaller. Now, it brings thousands of customers through the door.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 11/5/2014]
Performers Bethany Chase, in the parrot suit, Elise Duran, 22, and Clay Cox entertain in the streets of downtown Gainesville during the 2012 Downtown Festival and Art Show. They are members of the Rainbow Tiger Circus.
