Take an art walk this weekend

Need a little creativity and color in your life? Visit the 17th Annual Art’s Alive, a fine arts festival this weekend at Northside Park on 125th Street to enjoy culture in a beautiful setting.
Set near a picturesque bayside park, attendees can enjoy a scenic stroll while perusing art from more than 90 booths, featuring artists from the tri-state region. Other artists have traveled from from states up and down the East Coast to show off their work, be it paintings, jewelry, sculptures or furniture, in Ocean City. More than half of the vendor’s at this week’s festival will be new additions.
All artists will compete for roughly $5,250 in prizes in nine juried categories. Awards for best in show and people’s choice will be presented at the artist reception Saturday night at the Art League on 94th Street.
Attendees can take home their own masterpiece, from soap carvings or ceramics.
“If you’re looking for a family-friendly outdoor event this weekend, this is the one,” Ocean City Special Events Director, Frank Miller said in a press release. “Arts Alive is more than a fine art festival.”
Musicians will also help set a relaxing ambiance in Northside Park. Janet Spahr, who performs with handpans, will create a soothing, ethereal music for the walks on Saturday and Sunday. Island Fusion will perform on Saturday, and will be fusing traditional island tunes with classic rock, blues standard and other music during their set. River & Rhodes, a acoustic duo, will also entertain at the festival on Sunday.
Free childrens activities, including soap carving, drawing and painting, will be offered to younger visitors to make the event more pleasurable for the whole family. Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli will be there and provide variety of delicious food options, like their world-famous reubens and dill pickles. Smoothie lovers can stop by the Maui Wowi smoothie stand for a refreshment if it gets too hot during the Arts Alive festival.
Vendors will also sell beer and wine to adult patrons, truly making “that stroll through our 58 acre park just a little more enjoyable,” Frank Miller said. “Bring the whole family and enjoy art.”
Like last year, official Art’s Alive merchandise will be sold during the event, giving guests another option to take home the festival with them. Merchandise includes pins and T-shirts.
Art’s Alive will take place rain or shine from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on June 24-25. For more information on this free event, contact the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department at 410-250-0125 or go to ococean.com.