By Janet Anderson
Austin ArtWorks Festival

This is the first of a series of guest columns that highlight the upcoming second annual Austin ArtWorks Festival

The second annual Austin Artworks Festival is the place to be Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 24 and 25 at the Historic Downtown Power Plant on Fourth Avenue Northeast in Austin.

More than 200 artists, authors, musicians, actors and craftspeople will participate. Each one has a unique connection to Austin. Admission to the Festival site is free and designed to appeal to entire families.

Three galleries will feature visual artists and crafters from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, and most items will be for sale. The impressive Turbine Gallery showcases the work of professional visual artists and gives visitors a sense of the tremendous potential for the revitalization of the former Austin power plant.

Instrumental musicians will perform throughout the Festival to enhance the Turbine Gallery experience. The Fourth Avenue and Annex galleries feature more talented artists. Glassblower Peter Waldman is back from New York City by popular demand and will demonstrate throughout the festival. Kyra Bellrichard will share her talents as a potter with demonstrations, and watch for more artists at work during the Festival.

Visitors will be treated to a terrific variety of live entertainment on the outdoor stage, including blues by Sena Ehrhardt, jazz, rock, country, pop, mariachi, storytelling, magic, Austin’s own SPAMettes and the remarkable talents of guitarist Trace Bundy. Trace is another former Austinite who now lives in Colorado.

The art of writing is celebrated with author presentations in a new space this year. Festival organizers are thrilled to feature the highly successful young author Amanda Hocking, who continues to write and live in Austin. A total of 14 authors and illustrators will present their work and interact with audiences. Their books will also be on sale, so the Festival is a great time to get an autographed copy. The full author schedule is available on the Festival website.

Look forward to lots of fun arts activities for kids. One of the highlights from last summer is back by popular demand. Kids are invited to “Brush the Beetle” by actually painting a Volkswagen Beetle. Matchbox Children’s Theatre will present a sampling of its musical production of Pinocchio, which is being performed during the Festival in the Historic Paramount Theatre — just a few blocks from the Festival site. Local food vendors will add fun and appeal.

An exciting new feature will be the Saturday-night double headliner concert at Marcusen Park in partnership with Pacelli Catholic School in celebration of the school’s 100th anniversary. Austin native, Martin Zellar kicks off the concert with his band Martin Zellar and the Hardways at 7:30 p.m. Martin’s son Wilson and longtime friend and bass player Nick Ciola round out the Austin connections. Cloud Cult takes center stage at 9:30 p.m. Austin native, Shannon Frid-Rubin is the violinist for this innovative chamber rock band. Two artists each create a painting during the concert, which will be available for purchase. Go to the Festival website for link to buy concert tickets.

Get full details on artists, authors and performers on the website at austinartworksfestival.org.