Celebrate local talent at the annual West Main Arts Festival in downtown Arlington from noon to 7 p.m. Sept 14.
Spanning four blocks, the festival will showcase 70 art and vendor booths, 15 food trucks, 40 local bands and various street performers. There will also be a kids' art creation station and an interactive area for children hosted by the Arlington Public Library in Gene Allen Park.
The concept formed nine years ago when a group of passionate Arlington residents wanted to create a local festival, celebrating art and providing a platform for artists, Mark Joeckel, owner of Create Texas, said.
The festival helps creators start small businesses through their art and music, Joeckel said. The biggest evolution has been expanding the circle of creative partners and sponsors, developing a small but emerging cultural scene in Arlington through the arts.
Since its inception, the festival has grown significantly. In the first year, organizers anticipated around 300 to 400 attendees but ended up drawing a couple thousand. Now in its eighth year, the festival has averaged around 7,500 attendees a year, over the last three years, making Arlington a notable destination for art events, Joeckel said.
“There's so many local bands and musicians that we’ve worked with and who want to grow in their experience with art festivals and playing live music,” Joeckel said. "We’ve gone from having 25 bands, last year, to 40 this year."
This expansion involved additional costs, more bands, and two extra stages and sound systems. However, organizers believed it was worth it this year due to the thriving music scene in Arlington where local artists ranging from 16-year-olds to college students and up are working to launch their music careers.
They prioritize applications from Arlington residents and nearby communities to keep it local, Joeckel said. The most important aspect of the selection process is ensuring that each piece, jewelry, pottery or painting, is handmade by the artists themselves, Joeckel said.
Joeckel noted that they prioritize local and emerging talent in the music lineup rather than booking major headliners. Their goal is to highlight and engage with local bands, treating them as the festival’s main attractions.
“There's definitely music lovers out there who don't necessarily want to see a big name band or a tribute band, but they want to see what's really happening on the local scene,” Joeckel said. “That's what is really exciting about this. Just to meet the people who maybe had never even heard of any of these bands, but come out because they've heard we’ve got a lot of new up-and-comers,”
Joeckel said he’s proud of the built community and shared experience he’s had with thousands of people over the last nine years.
“What I have found through the arts and music – it is the greatest gatherer of all humanity,” Joeckel said.“It crosses over in ways that very few other things in life can bring people together.”
@taylor._.sansom
