Riverside Arts Festival

Riverside Arts Festival

In its 37th year, the Riverside Arts Festival is one of the South’s premier juried art competitions, attracting hundreds of artists and thousands of visitors to historic Riverside Park. This year, the Festival will be held September 6th and 7th, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The eclectic Five Points area provides a vibrant gateway for those attending the festival, which features watercolors, oils, glass, pastels, drawings, clay, photography, wood, acrylics, fiber, graphics, metal, paper and mixed media, as well as a terrific Art Activities tent for kids. There is always plenty of food, fun, and music to accompany the art, and the highly regarded (and free!) guided bus tours of the district are not to be missed.

An art auction and raffle will be held giving festival goers the chance to have an amazing piece of art created especially for the Festival. Artists Joan Smyly Durden, Jim Draper, and Michael Regina have donated work for the raffle. Raffle tickets for Joan and Michael will be $2 each and for Jim will be $3 each. The drawing will be held on Sunday at 3:00 pm.

The silent auction is comprised of many artists and other patrons (participating and not participating in the festival) who have donated art in order to raise money for RAP. Festival goers will be able to bid on each work of art for a chance to take it home. Luckily for those who find a piece that they just have to have there will be a "buy it now" price on each piece. This price will be full retail price and allows the bidder to become the highest bidder instantly and take it home with no further bidding. The auction will close at 2:00 pm on Sunday. Winners must come by between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm to pick up and pay for their great new prize.