O.B. Festival of Art March 9-10 at Waterfront Park

The 45th annual Orange Beach Festival of Art is set for March 9-10. The fine arts, juried event is held every second weekend in March on the joint grounds of the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach and Waterfront Park on Canal Road.
Festival hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival is completely free with public parking located at both the Wharf west lot and the Orange Beach City Hall complex. Shuttle service is provided by Baldwin Regional Area Transit System (BRATS) with an all-day pass for $5. Bike riders can park at the Bicycle Village on the Arts Center grounds.
The festival will feature 100 booths of local and regional fine art, plus exciting acts on the performing arts and music stages. Festival goers may also enjoy live visual arts demonstrations including hot glass and clay.  Savory gourmet offerings will be presented in the Culinary Arts area and children can dive into fun hands-on experiences in the Kids Art Alley.
  The reputation of this show continues to grow with its selection by Sunshine Artist Magazine, a national arts and crafts industry publication, as one of the “Top Contender” events in the U.S. The Festival of Art was one of 11 in the nation selected as a “must-see event” in 2018. 
With more than 100 artists working in a variety of mediums, festival-goers enjoy dazzling art at every turn. Fine artists, gourmet culinary vendors, musical performers and live demonstrations always deliver a multitude of sensory experiences.
  Culinary selections featured at the festival offer gourmet flair, while still providing plenty of child-friendly options. Feast your eyes on beautifully presented culinary pieces while savoring the rich flavors of the Alabama Gulf Coast. Featured restaurants will include Alabama Coastal Catering (Cosmo’s/Cobalt restaurants), Bleus Burgers, Fin & Fork and new this year, Wolf Bay Lodge.
  In addition to the Culinary Arts section, the Specialty Foods Area will include The Meat Mart of Orange Beach, Two Sisters Olive and Grape, Willow Farms and BuzzCatz Coffee & Sweets, among others.
  Kids’ Art Alley offers young festival goers plenty of hands-on fun. Children can dig their fingers into clay and bright paint, enjoy games, watch live demonstrations and take home their own works of art. The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo and the Orange Beach Wildlife Center will offer children an up-close look at wild animals.
  New this year is the incorporation of art from last year’s Best of Show winner as the signature design for the current year. Best of show in 2018 was Pui Lan Cockman and her beautiful watercolor Koi fish are featured in all festival advertising this year.
For more info, visit OrangeBeachArtsFestival.com, follow on Facebook or call 251-981-ARTS (2787).

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Music Stage
Saturday
10:15 – 11:30: Jerry Anderson
11:45 -1:15: Three Bean Soup
1:30 – 3:00: David Jones
3:15 – 4:45: Roman Street
Sunday
10:45-12:00: Bitter End Band
12:15 – 1:45: Poarch Ninjas
2:00-3:30: Coconut Radio

Performing Arts Stage
Saturday
10:00: Gulf Coast Jujutsu
10:45: Dolphin Sound, Gulf Shores Elementary
11:45: Tai Chi with Rio Cordy
12:15: Coastal Ballet
1:00: Cello Salad, Della Grigsby
2:30: Ben Kennington and Maura Hawkins
FBISF Songwriters Youth Showcase winners
3:45: Snook Youth Club
Sunday
12:00: Jonathan Crawford
1:00: OB Expect Excellence Program
“Willy Wonka” excerpts
2:00: Mel Middlebrooks
2:45: Baldwin Co. Youth Orch, String Ensemble