MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival Hits the Streets April 17-20

18 Feb 2008

by: Diane Wolfe

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival Hits the Streets April 17-20

Fort Worth, Texas--MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), the city’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., hits the streets April 17 - 20, 2008 in a four-day art and entertainment showcase spanning a magnificent mile.

MAIN ST. draws tens of thousands of people annually to a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film, theater and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth. More than 200 juried artists and hundreds of fine crafts exhibitors will line red brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians, dancers, performance artists, and food vendors. Fort Worth’s signature skyline of turn-of-the-century buildings and modern skyscrapers provides a backdrop for this regional favorite.

This year, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival combines established favorites with additions to its playbill.

JURIED FINE ART

Artists exhibit and sell quality reproductions and original works of art, including sculpture, painting, photography, woodcarvings, glasswork, jewelry, fashion, multimedia compositions and more. Over $4 million in art is sold during the festival, at prices from $50 to thousands for limited editions and one-of-a-kind works.

MUSIC ON MAIN presented by WaMu

The 2008 festival music schedule includes live performances by Grammy winner Terrance Simien, Dr. John, Brave Combo, Joe McBride, Latin Express, Terri Hendrix, Wayman Tisdale and The Wailers among 100 local, regional and national acts playing rock, traditional and alternative country, soul, jazz, the Latin sound and break-out regional styles like Zydeco. See the full schedule and artists’ bios at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

NEW! OFF MAIN

Pillars of the downtown theater district and friends host Off Main, a series of performances, exhibits and lectures in venues both on and off Main Street. Off Main takes the stages at the Fort Worth Library, the Jubilee Theater, University of Texas/Fort Worth Center, Four Day Weekend Theater, McDavid Hall and Bass Hall in a celebration of fine art, film and theater during MAIN ST.  More venues are being added daily.

FEARLESS FILM FESTIVAL 2

This short film and video festival attracted filmmakers from around the world at its premiere in 2007. This year, films will be screened in the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall in the Fort Worth Central Library from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20 as part of Off Main. 

GREAT EATS - FESTIVAL FOOD

From crawfish, turkey legs, brats and funnel cakes to gourmet hamburgers and the best of the downtown dining scene, MAIN ST. festival fare offers something for every palate. Soft drinks, beer, margaritas and Texas wines complement foods on the menu for MAIN ST. 2008. 

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Pets are not allowed. For information on parking and transportation, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org or www.fortworthparking.com.

About Us

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) and presented by Coors Light. It is listed as one of the top 10 art festivals in the country by the Art Fair SourceBook and the Harris List. Official Sponsors for 2008 are American Airlines, Chase, Ford, Sundance Square, Target, WaMu and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, Clear Channel Radio, Star-Telegram and D Magazine. Supporting Sponsors include Chesapeake Energy, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority and Green Mountain Energy.

Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) is a 501 (c) 3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District. DFWII provides a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public purpose activities such as community festivals, residential development and park management focused on downtown, and produces the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights and the Fort Worth Christmas Tree in Sundance Square. With an annual economic impact exceeding $20 million, these events attract more than 500,000 visitors to Downtown.