For the 36th year, Artsplosure - the Raleigh Arts Festival will take over parts of downtown Raleigh, drawing thousands of people for art, music, dance and other performances and entertainment of all kinds.
The festival runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, in downtown Raleigh. If you go with kids, here's what you'll need to know:
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New location
In past years, the festival has been centered around Moore Square, which is currently undergoing a massive renovation.
This year, artist booths will line Fayetteville Street. Among them, you'll find music and art installations, along with food trucks and other attractions. And new this year: Kidsplosure, which features activities for kids, will be on Market and Exchange plazas between Fayetteville and Wilmington streets.
Kidsplosure performances
The Kidsplosure area is open 11 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday.
The stage features a variety of performances, including the Enloe High School Jazz Ambassadors, a storytime with Read With Me, the children's bookstore, Stage Door Dance Company, One Tribe Drumming and more.
Kids also can get crafty and make a seed bomb, flower fans, festival bracelets, dream catchers, flower crowns and more to take home.
Another fun activity: Raleigh Rocks will host a community rock painting party where you can paint rocks to take and hide for others to find.
And Skill-by-Skill, which provides occupational therapy programs to kids, will have sensory bins out to help kids perfect their fine motor skills.
Get ready for Squonk
The Squonk Opera Cycle Sonic is, I'm told by organizers, "one of the coolest things" on tap this year. Here's the description:
A musical spectacle, performed and human-powered cycle-stages. Cycle Sonic celebrates bicycles with human-powered stages, propelled by original chamber rock music…and human legs!
Sprouting bulb-horns and whirligigs, whistles and bells, these parade floats become instruments of music through the swirl and thump of wheel and pedal. A pageant of double-decker bike-stages creates a merry Cycle Sonic ruckus.
You'll find them on Fayetteville Street. Shows are at 1 p.m.,3 p.m.,and 5 p.m. on Saturday with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) workshop after 1 p.m., Saturday, show. On Sunday, shows are at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. with a STEAM workshop after the 4 p.m. show.
Channel your inner rock star at Drum Team Karaoke
At 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Sunday, you'll want to catch Drum Team Karaoke.
Here's the description:
Play your favorite rock & roll songs with a live band! This unique team building program is fun, empowering, and simple — zero musical experience required.
It's open to all to watch, but if you want to participate, you'll need to drop by the group's table to sign up for a time slot. It's free for all Artsplosure visitors and hosted by Mike McKee, drummer for NC’s own Delta Rae.
Experience some pop-up art
The Pop-Up Artlet is noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, at Fayetteville and Davie streets. Here, you'll find art to see and art to participate in.
Groups participating include the Poetry Fox, who writes poetry on the spot, large scale calligraphy from NC State Crafts Center, Larry's Ukuleles, Theatre Raleigh and more.
Artsplosure's website has a lot more information about what's up if you go, including lots of handy maps and parking recommendations.