MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival returns to Public Square and downtown Mount Vernon this Friday, August 13 through Sunday, August 15.
This marks the 33rd year for this event, presented by Ariel Corporation and Park National Bank.
The festival will highlight local, regional and national performing, visual and creative artists of all ages. There are also plenty of great food, snack and beverage selections available from a variety of food trucks, downtown restaurants and cafés.
After Thursday night’s opening fundraiser with The Cleveland Keys Dueling Pianos, the Festival officially opens on Friday morning. MVMAF hours are 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
This year, MVMAF brings a special focus to the visual arts, welcoming Chalk The Block, taking over South Main Street from Vine to Gambier Streets from Friday to Sunday.
This year, Chalk the Block Columbus is celebrating its 10th anniversary, featuring artists designing and drawing large scale temporary artworks on the pavement while the public watches.
The Festival also welcomes the balloon art of Aaron Hay with Sculpted Air, in the first floor of the Woodward Opera House from Friday through Sunday.
The Schnormeier Gallery at Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Buchwald Center will feature Stitched, a show from the Knox County Quilt Guild, Friday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The MVMAF Challenge & Auction will encompass 2020 and 2021, using the medium of wood, plus old pianos and chairs. These items are online now for bidding, will be displayed in the ballroom of The Grand Hotel on Friday and Saturday, with a final live auction of those items Saturday at 7:00 p.m. on the steps of Mount Vernon City Hall.
Click here to bid online: https://www.theruckmangroup.com/catalog/300461/mt–vernon-music-and-arts-festival-auction/
The majority of musicians this year will performing on the Ariel Corp. Main Stage on the North Main Street end of the Public Square. This includes performances from Six Miles to Nellie on Friday night at 8:30 and Phil Dirt and the Dozers on Saturday night at 8:30.
A few local musicians will also perform Friday and Saturday at the Music Maker Tent on East Gambier Street, plus a lineup of performers Saturday afternoon at the Woodward Opera House.
This year the Festival will bring back The Kids’ Zone, in the block of South Main Street between Gambier Street and Ohio Avenue. Kids of all ages can visit Ohio Knox Rocks, Pendulum Sand Art, the Right Brain Tent, Sound Vibration Art and the Tubulum Piano, plus enjoy bounce houses.
Sunday features a Car & Motorcycle Cruise In, presented by Mid-Ohio Motorsports. These cars, trucks and cycles will be proudly displayed from 11 a.m. to around 3:00 p.m. around Public Square and down South Main Street.
A golf cart shuttle for senior citizens and handicapped individuals will also help get people to and from parking and the stage areas.
Some other highlights of this year’s schedule by each day include:
— Friday and Saturday at noon – the Youth Showcase of local musicians
— Sunday at 2:00 p.m. – Game Day Cheerleading Competition at the Park National Bank parking lot on West Vine Street.
The complete 2021 entertainment schedule and map will be available in pocket guides throughout the festival grounds, at the welcome tent on the south side of the Public Square, and online at mvmaf.org. The Festival will post any changes to its Facebook or Instagram (@MVMAFohio) pages.
For additional information, contact the Festival at (740) 392-FEST (3378) or email at mtvfestivaldirector@gmail.com.
OUR MISSION: The Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival exists to present a celebration of the arts; creating experiences that entertain, educate and inspire; uniting artists and audiences within the historic backdrop of Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Knox Community Hospital proudly supports the vibrant pulse of our community by sponsoring the Life & Culture section on Knox Pages, celebrating the stories and experiences that make our region unique.