Historic Downtown Sanford is about to look a lot more like an open-air gallery. The St. Johns River Festival of the Arts returns April 25–26, turning the brick streets into a two-day juried art fair packed with roughly 150 artists, a Culinary Arts Court with craft beer, live artist demonstrations, hands-on workshops and music across multiple stages. Admission is free, and the nonprofit-run festival puts its proceeds toward programs that support arts education for local children.
Festival details
According to MySanfordHerald, the event runs Saturday, April 25 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and Sunday, April 26 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.) and stretches across First Street, Myrtle Avenue, Palmetto Avenue and 2nd Street in historic downtown Sanford. Local reporting notes more than 140 juried fine-art exhibitors, while organizers list over 150 artists on this year’s roster.
Prizes and artists
Organizers say the festival will award more than $15,000 in prizes, and reporting has detailed how that money is split: a Best of Show prize of $3,000, juror’s choice awards of $900, awards of excellence at $800 and awards of distinction at $500, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. The cash awards are intended to highlight emerging and established creators alike and to help keep the festival on the radar for collectors and galleries.
Art-for-Kids and community
The festival is produced by a nonprofit that directs proceeds into its Art-for-Kids scholarship program, which provides art instruction and scholarships for Seminole County children. “This event continues to grow thanks to our sponsors, volunteers and the City of Sanford,” festival president Kim House said in a news release, as reported by MySanfordHerald.
What to expect
The festival website lists live artist demonstrations, interactive workshops, a Culinary Arts Court with local food vendors and a craft beer area, plus roaming performers and staged music woven throughout the footprint. The site also spells out the event rules, including “No pets, skateboards, rollerblades or coolers,” along with accessibility notes for attendees, per the festival organizer’s site.
Attendance and logistics
The festival’s about page notes approximately 50,000 visitors over the two-day festival run, and the downtown footprint means streets and public lots will be busy over the weekend. The City of Sanford maintains a downtown parking map and free trolley service to help visitors find parking and move between festival blocks, as noted by the City of Sanford.
More information
A full artist roster and schedule are posted on the festival’s official site. For deeper coverage of the lineup and awards, see reporting by the Orlando Sentinel and the event listing at Visit Orlando.
