The Main Event: MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival

Fort Worth, Texas—MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.), downtown’s main event presented by Coors Light and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., will hit the streets April 16-19 as one of the top three fine art shows in the nation and the region’s biggest entertainment showcase.

“The nation is discovering what North Texans have known for years: MAIN ST. is a major venue for fine art from across the country and the world, and it’s a lot of fun” said Richard Ruddell, festival and events committee chair for Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., which produces MAIN ST.

MAIN ST. packs downtown Fort Worth each spring with a celebration of fine arts and crafts, music, film and food stretching from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. More than 200 juried artists and fine crafts exhibitors line brick-paved Main Street, joined by musicians and dancers on three stages. Performance artists and food and drink vendors complete the scene.

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, April 16; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 17-18; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 19. Admission is free.

THE MAIN ATTRACTION: JURIED FINE ART 

Visual art is the centerpiece of MAIN ST., and exhibiting artists work in media ranging from sculpture, painting and photography to woodcarvings, glasswork, jewelry, fashion, multimedia and more. More than $4 million worth of art may be sold during the festival at prices ranging from $50 for signed, limited edition prints to thousands for original works.

MUSIC ON MAIN 

MAIN ST. jams with live music on three stages starting at noon daily during the festival and brings the biggest names in Texas R&B, blues, jazz, Latin rock–even traditional African instrumentals—to Main Street, Fort Worth.

The schedule mixes it up, blending different musical styles on every stage, and an eager public can follow the full concert line-up at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

Music is a family affair for featured performers like native son Jimmie Vaughan and singer Shemekia Copeland, daughter of blues legend Johnny Copeland. These two greats give R&B and the blues center stage in this year’s Music on MAIN schedule, but jazz holds sway on the Sundance Square stage with performances by George Duke,Najee and Lizz Wright.

Catch the American roots rock sound of the BoDeans, the Latin rock of Austin’s Del Castillo and hometown favorites Latin Express at this year’s show, or discover Mamadou Diabate on the kora.

The sonic sculpture of Mass Ensemble makes beautiful music and is a wonder to behold. More than 10 appearances across the Music on MAIN schedule make Mass Ensemble’s a don’t-miss performance.

OFF MAIN!

Pillars of the downtown arts community host Off Main!, a series of performances, exhibits and lectures that celebrate fine art, film and theater in venues both on and off Main Street.

FEARLESS FILM FESTIVAL 3

Fearless Film Festival 3, a.k.a. 3F3, returns as the sequel to the sequel of the event that brought moving pictures to MAIN ST. Winning films in 3F3 will be screened free to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 1:15 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18-19 in the David L. Tandy Lecture Hall in the Fort Worth Central Library, and organizers are adding two panels—“Copyright Law” and “Texas Filmmakers Resources”—to this year’s film festival.

GOOD TASTES – FESTIVAL FOOD

MAIN ST. is all about good taste, and the city’s finest have something cooking–from tamales and burritos, wraps and gyros, and turkey legs and funnel cakes to barbecue, burgers and hot dogs—for every palate and preference at MAIN ST. Save time and skip the lines by purchasing food and beverage coupons in advance through April 13. Strips of 12 coupons cost just $8 at the Festival Store at www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

YOUNG AND EMERGING TALENT

Award-winning outreach programs bring the magic of fine art to young people and spotlight undiscovered talent. MAIN ST. CREATES! presented by CHASE draws families north past 2^nd Street and into a world of pure imagination, where kids immerse themselves in arts and crafts. The Young People’s Art Fair presented by XTO Energy releases the energy and enthusiasm of budding artists ages 7 to 17 who show and sell their art from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 19 and 20. The Emerging Artist Program is in its fourth year and offers an opportunity for artists who have little exhibition experience to sell their work at MAIN ST. Discover these rising stars on Third Street.

THE GREEN TEAM: MAIN ST. & UT Arlington 

The 2009 show also will feature an expanded emphasis on environmental awareness, thanks to a partnership between MAIN ST. and the green team at The University of Texas at Arlington.

GET HERE 

Use of public and alternative transportation is encouraged, and MAIN ST. guests will have a new option—T bus shuttle service—for transportation to and from the festival this year. The shuttle will operate every 20 minutes from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday from free parking at Billy Bob’s Texas in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Trinity Railway Express and the T’s regular city bus service also offer hassle-free transportation, or bike to the festival, then secure your wheels at the popular Bike Corral, where cyclists enjoying valet parking courtesy of Bicycles, Inc. and Fort Worth Bicycling Association.

Parking options this year include free parking starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 16 and 3 p.m. Friday, April 17 as well as all day Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19 at Tarrant County’s parking garage at 101 Calhoun St. The county’s employee parking garage at 601 W. Weatherford St. also will offer free parking all day Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19. For more parking options and information on transportation, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org or www.fortworthparking.com.

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 24th year in 2009 and is presented by Coors Light. Official Sponsors for 2009 are American Airlines, Chase, Sundance Square, Target, Texas Lincoln Mercury Dealers, and XTO Energy. Media Sponsors include CBS 11/TXA 21, D Magazine and the Star-Telegram as well as radio stations WRR 101.1, Mix 102.9, 102.1 The Edge, 106.1 KISS FM, 95.9 FM The Ranch, Country Legends 92.1, and Lone Star 92.5. Supporting Sponsors include Coca-Cola Bottling Company of North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association, Fort Worth Transportation Authority, Green Mountain Energy, and The University of Texas at Arlington.

# # #