RiverArtsFest this weekend

River Arts Fest is this weekend, in downtown Memphis. A 2-day festival to support (duh) the arts in Memphis. Apparently this is one of the largest festivals in Memphis now, definitely one of the fastest growing.

Their website is apparently down right now - hope they get up and running again, sort of helpful :) But it should be riverartsmemphis.org

It's a nonprofit organization to support the arts in Memphis. Here is a little blurb from AmericanTowns.com :

Mission Statement:
The mission of River Arts Fest is to expand and enhance the reputation of Memphis as an arts-oriented community. Traditionally, this event has attracted a sophisticated buying public to interact with talented, nationally recognized artists from across the nation.

History: While the RiverArtsFest organization itself is new, its roots can be traced back many years in the life of the City of Memphis. The RiverArtsFest as it exists today is a collaboration between two very strong arts centric organizations; Experience Art in Memphis (formerly Arts in the Park) and the South Main Association which is home for some of the city's finest art galleries. The synergies created in this collaboration along with a location in the heart of a revitalized downtown will make this event one of the premier art events in the Mid South.

Experience : Art in Memphis (Formerly Arts in the Park) In 1984, Arts in the Park began in Overton Park as a program of Art Today, an organization of the Brooks Museum under the leadership of Richard Wilson Sr. The objective was to bring together the visual and performing arts for a weekend of dance, music, sculpture, song, paintings, fine eating and participation; a fine arts exhibition. The success of the program led to the formation of a 501(c)3 corporation which came to be the Memphis Arts Festival. In 2003, the name was changed to Experience Art in Memphis to reflect an expanded mission to include literary and culinary arts. The invitation is to experience the art, to understand how it came to be, to enjoy all aspects of its creation, and to celebrate its existence. Since 1984, Memphis Arts Festival, through Arts in the Park and related events has involved over 500,000 citizens of the community in all its programs.

To coincide with the festival, local liquor stores are selling a RiverArtsFest wine, with proceeds going towards the fesival. Read more about it here on the Memphis Flyer's food blog.

This weekend is supposed to be sunny and warm (around 65 degrees) so it is a great weekend to come down to the South Main area and take in a little art :)