Celebration

It’s time once again for the biggest, free art happening in the Inland Northwest.

Before dawn on Friday morning, hundreds of volunteers will begin transforming downtown Coeur d’Alene into one huge community festival.

By mid-morning, thousands of fun-loving visitors will begin pouring into the Lake City to wade through Art on the Green, A Taste of the Coeur d’Alene’s Festival and the Downtown Street Fair.

This annual three-day gathering of artists, musicians, street performers and food vendors will flow down Sherman Avenue, through City Park and onto the North Idaho College campus.

Starting Friday at 4 a.m., Sherman Avenue, and most cross streets between Second and Seventh, will be closed to vehicles for the run of the Downtown Street Fair. Booths officially open at 9 a.m.

“The street fair started 13 years ago as a huge sidewalk sale to showcase our downtown merchants,” says Gay Glasson, with the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association. “Now there are more than 170 vendors filling our downtown’s main street with arts and crafts, music and awesome family fun.”

Spread across two booths in the 600 block of Sherman Avenue will be first time street fair vendor Craig Wicks of St. Maries. He’ll be bringing his cut metal art, antler lighting and log furniture.

“I’m excited about being part of all the festivities,” says Wicks. “I’ll have everything from $10 candle holders to a huge, hand-crafted wagon wheel costing about $2,500.”

More than a dozen groups will be making music on street corners throughout the three days. Listen for the music of such performers as Steve Pike’s one-man orchestra, Successful Hobos’ folk rock music, and the harmonizing of barbershop groups 8-to-4 and Mellow Men.

Food aplenty

You can bring your own picnic basket, but there are plenty of places to eat during this enormous event. In addition to many downtown restaurants, the annual Taste of the Coeur d’Alene’s Festival spreads throughout the shady and cool City Park.

“The Taste” includes 25 food booths with choices from burgers, to vegetarian dishes, to sweet ice cream. Live music begins at 1 p.m. on Friday in the park’s bandstand with the jazz rhythms of Spokane’s Robin Marks’ quintet.

“Each year we get some of the best jazz and big band sounds in the area,” says Carol Gregory, managing director of the Coeur d’Alene Festivals Committee.

In addition to the outdoor music and food booths, “The Taste” features 100 arts and crafts vendors selling a variety of original work on both sides of the Centennial Trail in City Park.

Further along the lakefront in Fort Sherman Park on the North Idaho College campus is the mother lode of the three festivals – the 37th Art on the Green. Gates open at noon on Friday.

“Art on the Green has long been an annual outing for many families,” says Dick Trudell, publicity coordinator for the Citizens’ Council for the Arts, sponsor of the festival. “It’s always a lot of fun.”

Generations of families keep returning for the art, children’s activities, live entertainment and, of course, the corn on the cob. Back are popular events including the giant sand castle, juried outdoor art show and continuous free entertainment on two stages.

One artist who was there at the beginning in 1968 is Spokane potter Dennis Young.

“The first year there were 10 exhibitors and three of us were potters,” says Young. “Ever since it began it has essentially been the largest art festival in the Inland Northwest region. That’s pretty impressive.”

This year there are 140 booths featuring only original artwork in photography, fiber, glass, jewelry, baskets, wood, paintings, leather, prints and ceramics.

Another longtime exhibitor is transparent watercolorist MariAnne Figgins.

“I’ve had a booth at Art on the Green for 23 years,” says the Spokane artist who lives on a working farm with llamas, goats, horses, dogs and cats.

She is bringing paintings that feature the animals she loves, as well as landscapes and genre scenes in vibrant colors.

“This year I’m also excited that two of my paintings were accepted into the Juried Art Show.”

Figgins’ “I Want Your Popsicle,” is one of the 100 items on view under an enormous white tent in the outdoor gallery.

As always, music seems to be everywhere with continuous entertainment on two stages beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Tuxedo Junction is headlining Friday night at 8 with its big band sounds. On Saturday the Main Stage is taken over at 8 p.m. by the Arte Flamenco Dance Company. Closing out the festival on Sunday afternoon at 4 is the Spokane Opera.

Remember that out of every dollar spent on artwork at Art on the Green, 20 cents returns to the Citizens Council for the Arts to help with programs as ArtShop, Lake City’s Writers’ Camp and the Summer Art Institute.