Luminarium, magic poodles among events at Artsplosure this weekend
Artsplosure, also known as the 'Raleigh Arts Festival,' will take over part of downtown May 19-21 with 170 artists and craft booths, performances, breathtaking installations, interactive activities and plenty of food.
The free, three-day festival enables visitors to come and go as they please, picking their favorite activities from a hefty line-up of options.
While Artsplosure vendors and performers change year to year, Terri Dollar, the festival's program director, said the biggest change at this year's event will be its location.
"While we will miss not being in our beloved Moore Square this year, we are happy to have the entire footprint of the festival in one central location," she said. "We believe this will make the festival easier for folks to navigate."
Dollar said that all festival activities, including Kidsplosure (a section designed just for young artists) can be accessed from Fayetteville Street near the Market and Exchange Plazas.
Highlights this year include dozens of musicians, such as Phil Cook, Ed Stephenson and the Paco Band, and artists and crafters selling fiber art, glass, wood crafts, jewelry, photography, ceramics and more. A magic poodle show and performances by child artists will be in the Kidsplosure zone, and local food trucks will be on site each day.
Dollar said that one of the most exciting exhibits this year is a new structure (pictured above) by the Architects of Air called the Katena Luminarium.
"It's an awe inspiring experience of light and color that is truly like nothing else that will delight and amaze," said Dollar. "It really is a don't miss."
Of course, there are hundreds more fascinating elements to see at Artsplosure, and Dollar recommends that all festival-goers download the Artsplosure app on their phones or visit the event website to see a complete list of events.