The 8th annual Taste of the Arts festival is bigger and better than ever this year as a two-day festival, kicking off on Friday, August 26 at 6-10 PM on the downtown Arts Campus (300 East Main Street). The festival continues on August 27 from 11 AM-7 PM. The Taste of the Arts Festival celebrates and supports the rich diversity of arts and cultural experiences in our vibrant community. The festival is open to all, providing access to art without cost. Tickets for tastings of food and drink can be purchased for $1 each. Proceeds from donations, sponsorships, and food sales help keep admission to the event free and support artistic programming throughout the year.
FRIDAY NIGHT AT TASTE
Friday Night festivities include the WBOI Meet the Music Concert beginning at 6 PM, with musical performances by Todd Harold and Nick Bobay, Jane Heald and Shawn Ellsworth-Hoffman, David Todoran and the Mobile Home Wreckers, and Randy Kimball Blues. dAnce.Kontemporary will also perform inside the Arts United Center at 8 PM. The infamous Pyroscope will light up the night just before the Living Fort Wayne Film Series screening of “It Happened One Night” at 10 PM on the Arts United Center Plaza. Restaurant and drink vendors will serve Fort Wayne favorites all night.
SATURDAY AT TASTE
On Saturday morning, the festival kicks off bright and early with a new addition – the Beat Beethoven 4 Mile Run/Walk at 8:30 AM. This race invites runners and walkers to try to “Beat Beethoven” by running or walking four miles faster than it takes an orchestra to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. A free kids’ one mile run/walk will begin at 9:30 AM. More information can be found at www.artsunited.org/beatbeethoven.
At 11 AM sharp, ticket lines open and the festival will be in full swing with 11 stages and 70 performances, including Downtown Improvement District’s Busker Pitch. More than 30 restaurants will be present. Over 40 arts organizations will provide kid-friendly, hands-on art activities. Cyclists can park their bikes at the Fort Wayne Trails Bike Valet, located on the west side of the Arts United Center. Local artists will be present as a part of the FortArtisan Fair, presented by Artlink. Be on the lookout for Artlink’s Wet Paint Fundraiser, where over 20 local artists will set up their easels throughout the festival grounds until 1 PM when the silent auction begins in the Artlink Gallery. You can also partake in the creation of art with Artlink’s Paint the Piano, where the public can help paint two pianos that will be given to a music student without the means to access a piano and to Calhoun Soups, Salads, and Spirits, where the public can enjoy the musical work of art. Also be sure to take advantage of other events around the Arts Campus, including the YLNI Farmers Market, Fort Wayne Ballet Open House, Artlink’s Annual Members Show, Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s Summer of Glass Exhibition, Cinema Center’s indoor screenings, and free admission and art activities at the History Center.
Please visit www.artsunited.org/tasteofthearts/this-year-at-taste for a full list of participating performers, artists, restaurants, and Kids ARTivities.
The 2016 Taste of the Arts festival is made possible by generous support from PNC Bank, BAE Systems, 3Rivers Federal Credit Union, PHP, Fort Wayne Metals, Lincoln Financial Group, Sweetwater, Current Mechanical, Ivy Tech Community College, the Huisking Foundation, Downtown Improvement District, Peg-Perego, Republic Services, 1st Source Bank, ARC Document Solutions, Barrett McNagny, HearCare Connection, Eilbacher Fletcher Attorneys, Travel Leaders, Peerless Cleaners, Thrivent Financial, WMEE, WANE TV, and WBOI.
