Down by the River

The good folks of Salida are pulling out all the stops for the inaugural Salida Riverside Fine Arts Festival, and the result should be worth the several-hour drive south. “I’ve been an officer on the Visitors Bureau in Chaffee County, and I became aware of how an event like this will benefit the county-wide businesses,” explains festival director Danna Tullis, “so I’ve had it in mind to do it for quite a while.”

Tullis and her team rounded up a hundred fine artists to display juried work in jewelry, ceramics, photography, fibers, sculpture, glass, metalworks, drawing, painting, wood, mixed media and graphics and printmaking.

On top of all that art, visitors can enjoy music on the all-day stage, food and drink (including brews by some of Colorado’s best microbreweries), a Family Art & Play station where kids and families can explore their own creative tendencies, and performances by the Salida Circus.

“We are rolling out the red carpet,” confirms Tullis. “And it’s in a beautiful location; it’s on the banks of the Arkansas River in a willow-tree-lined park.” The festival takes over Salida’s Riverside Park today from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; for more information, visit www.salidaartfestival.com.
Sat., Aug. 15; Sun., Aug. 16, 2009