Arts Center kicking off 50th celebration with Fall Festival
Wayne Center for the Arts is celebrating 50 years in the community and kicking off the celebration with its annual Fall Festival on Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside and outside at the arts center, 237 S. Walnut St., Wooster.
“We are excited to be turning our annual Fall Festival for the community into a bigger celebration this year, as we invite everyone to a birthday party in honor of our 50th anniversary,” WCA Executive Director Sara Starr Brink said.
The Fall Festival usually features artists and arts activities, but this year the event also will feature cake, ice cream, live music and more.
“We will also be unveiling our 50th Anniversary Exhibit, which will tell the story of WCA through photos and memorabilia from the founding in 1973 up through the present,” Brink said.
Outside the arts center will be a bounce house for kids, over 25 artisan vendors, food trucks and pumpkin painting. Reggae band Shake Ground, a local favorite, will perform starting at 1 p.m. Special community activities with neighbors and friends also are planned. Flex Yoga Studios will host a yoga/meditation session at 11:30 a.m. on the lawn, and the Wayne County Public Library will present an activity.
Inside the arts center, visitors will be able to view the 50th Anniversary Exhibit in the auditorium while they have cake and ice cream and do an art activity. Also in the auditorium, Wayne Center Dance will present a preview of its fall show, “Nightmare Before Christmas,” at noon and 2 p.m.
In addition, two other exhibits will open Oct. 7. The Looney Gallery will have a show titled “Other People’s Prints,” featuring printed artwork from 10 Ohio printmakers. The public also can see the WCA’s new printing press being demonstrated and create a piece to take home.
The annual “6x6 Show” will open in the Gault Gallery, bringing together local artists, designers and community members of all ages to fill the gallery walls with hundreds of 6-by-6 artworks. The “6x6 Show” offers visitors a chance to purchase works by local artists at $20 each, with a portion of the proceeds providing financial aid for WCA students who qualify.
“There is certainly no shortage of activities to see at our Fall Festival this year,” Brink said. “Bring the whole family and plan to spend the day making and enjoying art in a variety of mediums.”