Celebrate. Community. Culture. Connect. Help establish 4th Avenue as a cultural corridor for downtown Austin by attending the 4th Avenue Fest on Wednesday, June 13.

The outdoor event — presented by the City of Austin and Austin Area Arts — centers around Horace Austin Park and features free family activities to celebrate culture and connect the community.

Visitors can experience free live music including MacPhail Music Interactive Percussion Experience at 5:15 p.m. at Horace Austin Park. Audience participation is encouraged. There will be an Austin Community Band Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the pool parking lot with free ice cream treats to follow.

La Victoria takes the stage at the Paramount Theatre at 7:30 p.m. La Victoria is a Los Angeles-based trio rooted in Mexican folk music and presenting a modern take on Mariachi.

The municipal pool will be open for free swimming, 7-8:30 p.m. Sidewalk chalk and other art activities will be available at the Austin Public Library. Attendees may wish to bring their own chairs or picnic blankets.

4th Avenue Fest grew out of the city of Austin’s participation in a Forecast Public Art pilot project. Forecast is a St. Paul-based non profit advancing public art by promoting best practices and publishing “Public Art Review.” In 2017, Forecast selected five Minnesota cities to beta test and pilot a new tool they are developing called Public Art and Placemaking Tool for City Planners. Austin was selected as one of the communities and began to work with Forecast in the summer of 2017.

“Austin was selected because our arts community is already strong and poised for growth. Residents are looking to ensure that Austin continues to be a destination for art, music and creativity,” said Holly Wallace, City of Austin Planning and Zoning Administrator, citing a recent city survey.

A focus of the pilot project is improving the health of cities; physical health of citizens, economic prosperity, community wellbeing, social cohesion, livability and a healthy environment.

Austin’s public art team, lead by Wallace, designed 4th Avenue Fest using Public Art and Placemaking Tool for City Planners. The event also aligns with the city’s 2014 Downtown Master Plan which calls for developing a 4th Avenue Cultural Corridor and the 2016 Comprehensive Plan includes specific policies to strengthen support and cooperation between the city and Austin Area Arts, as well as to explore the role of arts within their community.

Wallace and the Austin team will be measuring 4th Avenue Fest’s impact on the community and gathering input from attendees on the type of public art most desired by residents.

However, event goers don’t need to focus on measuring impact. According to Austin Area Arts Executive Director Laura Helle, “We want families to come and enjoy music, movement, the outdoors and their neighbors. Focus on having fun together.”

Coming soon at the Paramount Theatre

•June 13: World Music Series, La Victoria (mariachi music), 7:30 p.m. Free.

•June 13: 4th Avenue Fest, 5-8:30 p.m. Includes MacPhail Music Interactive Percussion Experience at 5:15 p.m. and the Austin Community Band Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Austin Municipal Swimming Pool parking lot.

•June 20: $5 Movie: “Singing in the Rain,” 3 and 7:30 p.m.

•June 28: $5 Movie: “Grease,” 3 and 7:30 p.m.

Coming soon at the ArtWorks Center

•June 11-15: Creative Clay and Art Summer Camp with Jesse Smith, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

•June 18: Sandy’s Pop Up Shop, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

•June 20: Teen Drawing Class, 2 p.m.

•June 22: Gallery Opening: Mark Lingl and Barb Orcutt, 5-7 p.m.

•June 23: Bob Ross Landscape Painting, 1 p.m.