August 12, 2009
Hand-made crafts, talented vocal performances and mouthwatering menu specialties are all on tap for visitors to the 31st annual Arts Festival Oklahoma (AFO), scheduled for Sept. 5 - 7.
A celebration of visual, performing and culinary arts, the festival will include more than 100 visual artists, non-stop entertainment, a wide variety of food booths, and a children’s tent with hands-on arts and crafts.
Visual artists from all over the country will combine to offer a diverse collection of pottery, sculptures, paintings, photography, glasswork, jewelry, woodwork and many other handmade crafts.
In addition to the varied artwork, visitors also look forward every year to the broad variety of performing artists that grace two separate stages over the three-day festival. Throughout its 31-year history, AFO has headlined area performers such as The Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Ty England, Shenandoah and Janie Fricke as well as performing artists from around the world including groups from Israel and Brazil.
This year the public will enjoy performances on Saturday evening from Mezclave and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Sunday evening will feature opening entertainment by Horseshoe Road, followed by The Oklahoma City Philharmonic and a grand fireworks display. Monday’s headline entertainment will feature Mike Black and the Stingrays.
AFO visitors also come for the food. In addition to the traditional festival fare such as corn dogs, funnel cakes, and ice cream, visitors can also enjoy an international culinary tour that showcases a variety of ethnic specialties from Mexico, Greece, Germany, and many others. This year’s festival will feature 12 different food booths and tents with something for every palate.
Another draw to AFO is the children’s activity tent. The festival strives to introduce children of all ages to the arts. In addition to enjoying art and crafts exhibits and entertainers, for a $1 admission, kids can play in a giant sandbox and make their own pieces of original art.
First launched in 1978 by the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Central Art Association, Women of the South, and Oklahoma City Community College, AFO's main purpose is to provide the citizens of Oklahoma with a cultural experience focusing on Oklahoma’s fine artists and craft persons as well as Oklahoma performing artists.
With the support of more than 2,000 volunteers, the Labor Day weekend festival makes a strong contribution to the quality of life and economic development of this region, bringing in nearly 40,000 guests each year.
Festival hours are Sat., Sept. 5 and Sun., Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Mon., Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oklahoma City Community College is located at S.W. 74th and May Ave. For more information, call 405-682-7576 or visit the AFO web site at www.occc.edu/afo.
For comments on the News Release contact:
Cordell Jordan
Media Relations Coordinator
Marketing and Public Relations