Experience the Arts in Gwinnett at the 5th Annual Barefoot In the Park Fine Arts Festival

Summer in Duluth, Georgia will begin with the Barefoot in the Park Fine Arts Festival that takes place for two days in downtown Duluth on the Town Green. The juried fine arts festival takes place May 9-10, 2009, Mother’s Day Weekend. This year’s event offers a wide variety of arts and performances and in celebration of its fifth year, organizers have added an all-new Literary Arts component and an all-day silent auction (Saturday).Barnes & Noble (The Forum) will bring literary arts center-stage at the new Barefoot Book Bistro. The Book Bistro will feature both children’s and adult authors and will run all day Saturday. Authors will be signing books and discussing their works with festival attendees. Adult authors include: Dixie Darlins’, Haywood Smith, Patricia Sprinkle and more.

Children can participate in story time with various authors and illustration workshops with Dee Densmore D’Amico (illustrator of What Not to Do When You Find a Spaceship). Children’s authors include: Laurel Snyder, Maria Corkern, Drake Highlander and more.

“I am thrilled about the exciting lineup of artists, the new literary component, as well as all of the support that we’ve received in the last five years from the community. The festival is important for Gwinnett County, and it is one of the only fine arts festivals in this area. It’s a great way to promote everything that the has to offer to visitors and residents,” said festival organizer, Caryn McGarity, Executive Director, Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Festival-goers can browse the juried Fine Artist Market made up of 50 hand-picked artists with diverse mediums including: glass, metal, jewelry, printmaking, ceramics, watercolor, photography, wood, sculpture, painting, and mixed media. The festival offers something for everyone on Mother’s Day weekend. Find a special gift for Mom at the Saturday silent auction, in the Artist Market or bring mom out on Sunday for a free keepsake Mother’s Day photo at the festival (1-3pm Sunday).

Families on a budget can drop the kids off at the Legacy Academy Children’s Art Park which features free art projects from Legacy Academy, Pinckneyville Community Center, Hudgens Center for the Arts, Young Chefs Academy (Johns Creek) and Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center. Children will enjoy free face painting, airbrush tattoos and the first 500 children each day receive a free festival t-shirt.

Gwinnett Community Band will kick off the grassroots performing and visual artist aspect of the festival on Saturday. All these performances are outdoors on the Main Stage. Other performers throughout the weekend include: Drake School of Irish Dance, Button Theatre, Chapelle, Atlanta Chinese Dance Company, Metro Jazz Club, Atlanta Harmony Chorus and more.

One of the most distinguishing attributes of Barefoot in the Park is that the revenues go back into supporting the arts community in Gwinnett.

“Through the Barefoot Grant Program, festival revenues go right back to Gwinnett’s non-profit arts and cultural organizations to support their programs. We couldn’t do this without our partners and sponsors,” adds McGarity.

Lead sponsors of the 2009 Barefoot in the Park Festival include: GCVB, Cisco, Gwinnett Medical Center, Legacy Academy, Blick Art (Roswell), Rock, Paper, Scissors, Proof of the Pudding, City of Duluth and the Georgia Council for the Arts.

BAREFOOT IN THE PARK MAIN STAGE PERFORMING ACTS:
Saturday:
11:45              Gwinnett Community Band
12:40              Phusion Performing Arts Alliance
1:20                Expressions Dance Company
2:00                Stone Mountain Chorus
2:40                Drake School of Irish Dance
3:20`               Button Theatre
4:00                BJ Chorale
4:40                Sugarloaf Performing Arts
5:20                Chapelle (rock band)

Sunday:
1:00                Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra
1:40                Atlanta Chinese Dance Company
2:20                Northeast Atlanta Ballet
3:00                Metro Jazz Club
3:40                Gwinnett Choral Guild
4:20                Peachtree Band of Jazz

Beer Garden Performers:

Saturday:
1:00                Dixie Darlin’s (comedy)
1:40                Gene Gene the Sax Machine (Gene Richards)
2:30                Heywood Smith, the Red Hat Lady (comedy)
3:15-5:00       Collateral Relations (Celtic band)

Sunday:
1:30                Danny Ray Cole
2:30                Georgia Young Men’s Ensemble
3:40                Atlanta Harmony Chorus
4:15                Atlanta Young Men’s Ensemble

For additional information or pictures, please contact Victoria Jones, Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau, 770-814-6048 or visit www.barefootinthepark.org.

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• Duluth Fall Festival , September 26th & 27th
• Duluth Festival Concert featuring the Swingin’ Medallions, September 11th
• Duluth’s newest event “NO REASON BLOCK PARTY” on the Town Green
• Community Fun Day October 24 on the Town Green in Duluth
• Snellville Days, Saturday May 1st at Briscoe Park