Mar

13

2015

Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival – “The Art and Soul of Texas for 30 Years” – Returning to Downtown Fort Worth April 9-12, 2015

Texas’ largest arts festival returns to Fort Worth for its 30th year, bringing together thousands in attendance and the finest in art, music, food and culture

FORT WORTH, Texas (February 10, 2015) – On April 9-12, 2015, the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival (MAIN ST.) will hit the streets of Downtown Fort Worth for its 30th year, bringing tens of thousands of spectators and the finest in art, music, food and culture together in one location. Free and open-to-the-public, Texas’ largest arts festival will span 25 blocks from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center, while showcasing 220 juried, hand-selected artists from across the U.S. throughout its four days. The 2015 MAIN ST. is presented by Andrews Distributing Co. and produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc.

Known as the crown jewel of Texas’ events, MAIN ST. is the largest arts festival in Texas, is annually ranked among the nation’s 10 best, and is a three-time winner of the prestigious “Grand Pinnacle” Award from the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA), considered the highest honor an event can receive. In addition, in 2014, Livability.com crowned Downtown Fort Worth as the nation’s #1 downtown, with MAIN ST. being a focal point of how the city “blends urban sophistication with cowboy culture.”

“We are thrilled to be celebrating the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival for the 30th consecutive year,” said Larry Anfin, chairman of the Festivals and Events Committee for Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., producers of MAIN ST. “Over the past three decades, MAIN ST. has become one of the most attended and celebrated arts festivals in the country, with tens of thousands coming together to enjoy one of the world’s largest outdoor art galleries and music venues. The original hope that MAIN ST. would someday become a multi-faceted festival that would transform downtown into an outdoor gallery and concert stage has not only come to life, but has exceeded what anyone thought was possible.” 

THE ART

The heart and soul of MAIN ST. has and will always be the world-class art on display. The Art Fair Sourcebook – one of the most respected reference works on the American art-show circuit – annually ranks MAIN ST. among the top 10 arts festivals in the U.S.  In 2015, less than 14% of artists who applied were accepted into MAIN ST., with 1,345 applications received and 220 artists selected to exhibit.  More than $4.6 million worth of art is expected to be sold across 15 mediums, including ceramics, jewelry, mixed-media, printmaking, digital, fiber, leather, painting, sculpture, drawing/pastels, glass, metalwork, photography and wood. 

Details including artist statements, booth numbers, contact information, and more can be found online at MAIN ST.’s “Fine Art Showcase.”

THE MUSIC

In addition to being the city’s largest arts festival, MAIN ST. is also Fort Worth’s largest music festival, with more than 100 local, regional and national musicians performing on three stages throughout its four days. 2015 headliners include pop/rock alternative band Green River Ordinance, southern rockers Atlanta Rhythm Section, rock & roll legends The Georgia Satellites, contemporary Jazz pianist and composer Keiko Matsui, smooth jazz soprano saxophonist Marian Meadows, Latin jazz artist Tito Puente, Jr., electric guitarist Robben Ford, Latin orchestra Havana NRG, Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Breggett Rideau, avant-garde new-age multimedia performance troupe Squonk Opera, 2013 Cliburn finalist Steven Lin, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and more.

Details including a comprehensive entertainment schedule, musician biographies, stage sponsors, and performance dates and times can be found online at MAIN ST.’s “Music on MAIN” page.

THE FOOD

An array of fine culinary fare from near and far will be another draw during this year’s MAIN ST. Foodies can experience a taste of Fort Worth with options including beef ribs and brisket sandwiches from Riscky’s BBQ, chicken fajitas and beef nachos from Bobby’s Fajitas, and red curry and chicken satays from Thai Tinas. Other options include festival mainstays such as The Original Corn Roast, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, Lone Star Cinnamon Roasted Nuts and Schmidt’s of German Village.  

Coupons are required to buy food and beverages, and can be purchased in-person at the MAIN ST. ticket booths or in advance online at MAIN ST.’s “Festival Store” page. 

THE FUN

Presented by Wells Fargo, “MAIN ST. Creates!” is back for 2015 and will anchor the north end of the festival. The family-favorite, hands-on, arts-and-crafts outdoor art studio allows kids of all ages to grow creatively and artistically. Activity stations open at 10 a.m. and include balloon designing, fish printing, face painting, caricatures, ceramic tile painting, mural walls, rock climbing, jewelry designing, sand art, and much more.

Located on the east side of the “MAIN ST. Creates!” area is the “Young People’s Art Fair,” presented by Tarrant County College. This section will feature more than 200 aspiring young artists from 1st through 12th grades from the Fort Worth ISD who will be showcasing and selling their own works of art.

Details including a full list of activities, operating hours, and more can be found online at MAIN ST.’s “MAIN ST. Creates!” page.

THE NEW

North Texas is one of the fastest-growing craft-beer regions in the U.S., and MAIN ST. will be offering 12 of the best local and national craft brews in draught-form at its new Craft Brew Garden, located under the trees next to UT Arlington Stage and General Worth Square.

Wine enthusiasts will also have the opportunity to visit Times Ten Cellars’ “Wine Experience,” located at 7th and Main streets, where sommeliers will conduct tasting events and festival revelers can purchase bottles of wine or enjoy wines by the glass.

THE INVOLVEMENT

  • Volunteer – MAIN ST. Volunteers are the “wonder team” behind the success of the nationally ranked MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival. The event simply could not take place without the hard work and dedication of more than 1,200 volunteers who handle merchandise sales, hospitality services and more. Perks for MAIN ST. volunteers include complimentary commemorative MAIN ST. t-shirts, beverages, discounts on official MAIN ST. merchandise, and eligibility for prize giveaways.
  • Join The Collector’s Club – The Collector’s Club is an exclusive group of members that enjoy art seminars, social events, complimentary valet parking, dinners, VIP Skybox access, and Art Purchase Gift Certificates, valid towards artwork purchases at MAIN ST. Interested members can join at either the Premier Collector ($325 for singles / $550 for couples) or Young Collector ($225 for singles /  $350 for couples) levels.
  • Become a “Friend of the Festival” – Friends of the Festival provide recognition and networking opportunities for businesses large and small, with added perks including company logo placements on MAIN ST. press materials and programs, complimentary dinners and beverages, Skybox access, valet parking, commemorative MAIN ST. fleece jackets, and signature entertainment, all alongside Fort Worth’s movers and shakers. Interested businesses can join at either the Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,500), or Bronze ($750) levels.

THE HISTORY

MAIN ST. traces its beginnings to the early 1980s when the City of Fort Worth set in motion a campaign of urban revitalization in the Central Business District. As momentum began to build, businessman Robert Bass spearheaded the initial effort in 1986 to create an event showcasing the attractions of the city’s reawakening downtown core.

Bass and other prominent civic leaders envisioned a multi-faceted festival that would transform downtown into an outdoor gallery and concert stage on an early spring weekend. The inaugural MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival was a three-day event involving 140 artists, 60 performance groups and 600 volunteers. Attendance was approximately 80,000

Three decades later, Downtown Fort Worth has become a thriving, 24-hour live-work-play environment. The MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, meanwhile, has followed a parallel trajectory, evolving into the largest event of its kind in the State of Texas.

THE BASICS

MAIN ST. is annually produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., and is free to the public. The official hashtag for 2015 is #MainSt2015. Festival hours for 2015 are:

  • Thursday, April 9, 2015: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • Friday, April 10, 2015: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 11, 2015: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 12, 2015: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

For additional event information, visit MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival online at:

ABOUT MAIN ST. FORT WORTH ARTS FESTIVAL

The MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival celebrates its 30th year in 2015 and is presented by Andrews Distributing Company. Official sponsors for 2015 are the Tarrant Regional Water District, Sundance Square, The University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College and Wells Fargo. Media sponsors are the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T), and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). Radio and online sponsors are 92.1 HANK FM (KTFW-FM) and 95.9 The Ranch (KFWR-FM). Supporting sponsors are the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bank of Texas, and the Music Performance Trust Fund. Hotel sponsors are Omni Fort Worth Hotel, Park Central Hotel, The Ashton Hotel, the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, Courtyard Fort Worth Downtown / Blackstone, and the Hilton Fort Worth. For more information, visit www.MainStreetArtsFest.org.

ABOUT DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH INITIATIVES, INC.

Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. is a 501(c)3 organization formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District by providing a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public-purpose activities, such as community festivals, residential development and park management. Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. produces the annual MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival and the annual XTO Energy Parade of Lights. These events have an economic impact of more than $27 million annually and attract thousands of visitors to Downtown Fort Worth each year. For more information, visit www.DFWI.org.

# # #

Brought To You By