Get Hands-on at Second Annual Diggin’ the Arts Festival

Bring the entire family out for an artful array of activities while enjoying the beautiful and tranquil surroundings of Pinellas County’s Florida Botanical Gardens at the second annual Diggin’ the Arts festival on Sunday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

The Diggin’ the Arts event features hands-on activities including both art and gardening demonstrations and a live on-site painting competition, as well as garden tours, vendors, booths, music and refreshments. Local museums and art centers participating include the Museum of Fine Arts of St. Petersburg, Morean Arts Center for Clay, Florida Craftsmen, Dunedin Fine Art Center, and new to the event this year, the Dali Museum, Suntan Art Center and the Beach Art Center.

Visitors will enjoy activities like decoupage, painting and, garden-oriented art projects appropriate for adults and children. Talks and demonstrations of clay, painting with pastels, watercolor painting, torch-fired enameling, plants and their relationship to the artist Dali, and orchid demonstrations are scheduled throughout the day.     

Artists can participate in the plein air – open air – non-juried painting competition. Veteran and budding artists alike are invited to paint along the paths of the Florida Botanical Gardens. Registration is $10 for each entry and begins at 9:30 a.m. with judging at 3:30 p.m. Best of show is $200, first prize $150, second prize $100 and two merit awards of gift cards from the Florida Botanical Bounty gift shop. Visitors may watch the contestants in action as they paint the garden’s beautiful vistas and scenes.

Visitors can participate to win rain barrels decorated by each of the museums and art centers as well as the Florida Botanical Gardens. Suggested donation is $1 and winners will be drawn at 3 p.m. Winners do not need to be present to win. Proceeds benefit the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation and all participating museums and art centers.

Visitors can also join in a scavenger hunt through the gardens while stopping by each booth to receive a clue or answer a question. Visitors who complete the hunt will receive a souvenir donated by the Dali Museum and the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation.

Visitors can also learn about the Florida Botanical Gardens and the garden’s multiple cultivated and native species during one of the hourly guided tours. Music, vendors and refreshments for purchase will also be offered.

The Florida Botanical Gardens, located at 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo, showcases native tropical plants, hybrid roses, fruit trees, herbs, hibiscus, bromeliads and more. Paths wind through more than 150 acres and connect with Heritage Village and the Pinewood Cultural Park campus. The gardens are open every day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The Botanical Bounty gift store is in the Parks and Conservation Resources building. It is open Monday through Friday starting at 10 a.m. On Sunday, May 5, the Botanical Bounty gift shop will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about the Florida Botanical Gardens, visit www.flbg.org or call (727) 582-2100.

For more information on Pinellas County services and programs, visit www.pinellascounty.org, now with LiveChat, or create a shortcut to www.pinellascounty.org/mobile on any smartphone. Pinellas County government is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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