Marietta Art In The Park 2018 Set For Labor Day Weekend

MARIETTA, GA — It's just barely spring. But organizers already are making plans for Marietta's 32nd annual Art in the Park on Labor Day Weekend. The 2018 festival, featuring more than 175 artists, is set for Sept. 1-3 in Marietta Square.

The festival also will feature the popular Chalk Spot, a children's art area, a local art gallery tour, food trucks, live entertainment and, for the second year, the One Piece Project — a "celebration of art and beauty" that is also a benefit for nonprofit groups.

Organizers say 45,000 people are expected to attend the three-day festival. It will run from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, with the Chalk Spot open 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

It will be held at Glover Park on Marietta Square, at 50 N. Park Sq., Marietta, 30060. Admission to Art in the Park is free. On-street parking is available around Marietta Square, with additional parking at the decks located at Waddell and Lawrence streets.

Since 2007, Art in the Park has been honored as a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event, ranked in the Top 100 in the nation in the Classic and Contemporary Craft Shows by Sunshine Artist Magazine and has also earned awards from the Southeast Festivals and Events Association and the International Festivals & Events Association.

Attracdtions at the 2018 festival include:

• Artist Market. Art in the Park is described as Cobb County’s only annual fine art show and offers visitors a fun way to meet and talk with artists and even see works in progress. Works include jewelry made from fine metals and precious stones, ceramics, paintings in watercolor, acrylic and oil and pastel, woodworking, glass, photography, textiles and more.
• One Piece Project. For the second year, Art in the Park is pleased to present the One Piece Project. At this year’s festival, each participating artist will select one work of art - marked with a One Piece Project purple ribbon - for which he or she will donate 10 percent of the sale price to the festival. Art in the Park will then distribute the proceeds to selected beneficiaries, this year including the “Inspired by the heArt” exhibition and Keep Marietta Beautiful.
• The “Inspired by the heArt” show is an event that began in 2013 and allows Cobb County students with mild to severe intellectual disabilities to create, celebrate and display their artistic skills. Last year, more than 200 students participated in the event from which no one is turned away. Keep Marietta Beautiful’s mission is to generate an environmental pride and a sense of ownership within the Marietta community through events that reduce waste, recycle and beautify the community.
• Galleries. Co-sponsored by the Marietta Square Art Gallery Tour, there's a self-guided walking tour through six local galleries located in and around the downtown area.
• The Chalk Spot street art display benefits the Marietta High School Art Club. Chalk Spot participation is $10 per person (for applications postmarked by August 17, 2018) and includes a goodie bag.
• Kids. Kid-sized fun doesn’t end with chalk art. Art in the Park also includes the Children’s Art Alley, a free interactive “make and take” area.
• Food. In addition to local restaurants along the Square offering indoor and outdoor seating, Art in the Park presents Food Truck Row, featuring a variety of offerings from today’s popular mobile restaurants.
• Music. Visitors to Art in the Park can take a break, enjoy lunch from the surrounding restaurants or onsite food trucks and relax under an umbrella with a beverage while enjoying smooth tunes in the Music Café.

For more information, visit the Marietta Art in the Park website.

Photo courtesy Marietta Art in the Park