A revitalized, reimagined summer festival returns to Downtown Gresham next weekend, bringing three days of amazing artwork, live music, interactive activities and so much more.
The newly-named Festival of Arts in Gresham, formerly Gresham Arts Festival, brings much of the same beloved activities from past years, this time under the umbrella of the Center for the Arts Foundation, which also helms events like Music Mondays.
Both evenings leading up to the big day, Thursday and Friday, July 18-19, will have special activities and fun to be had along Main Avenue. And then the free all-day arts festival will take over downtown Saturday, July 20, with thousands of visitors expected.
Third Thursday
When: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18
Where: Main Avenue, between First and Fourth Streets
Main Avenue will be closed for the monthly event, which is held throughout the year by the Historic Downtown Gresham Association. The special outing will close the roadway to allow more vendors to set up shop. There will also be specials from the many downtown businesses.
Music Under the Stars
When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, July 19
Where: Main Avenue
A pair of musical acts will perform in downtown — Opera A LA Cart will be at 5:30 p.m. at First Street and Main Avenue; Shanghai Woolies will be at 6:30 p.m. at Third and Main Avenue.
Festival of the Arts
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 20
Where: Downtown Gresham and the Gresham Arts Plaza
Hundreds of artists from across the Pacific Northwest will be showcased and celebrated. They represent a variety of mediums: ceramics and cottage crafts, glass and jewelry, paintings and photography, sculptures and woodwork, 2D and 3D mixed media, and so much more. The event is a great opportunity to not only chat with them, but also buy your favorite pieces.
All of those artists are being brought back to the streets of downtown, which will be closed to vehicles throughout the day. They will be along Main Avenue, between Powell Boulevard and Fifth Street, as well as a block up Second and Third Streets.
Adjacent to the artists will be the Gresham Farmers Market, much closer to the main activities after some frustrations from vendors last year about being moved to an out-of-the-way corner. They will have plenty of fruit, produce, cheese, honey, booze, baked goods, and all the other things people love perusing at the weekend summer market. For the Arts Festival, that section will also serve as a “Food Court” with several dining options. Folks can also take a break or grab a bite to eat at the many restaurants across downtown.
The Kids Village will take over the Arts Plaza, 401 N.E. Second St., with a bevy of activities, games and crafts all aimed at youths. There is also the Arts Plaza Stage, which will have a reptile show, live music and a circus.
New this year will be several interactive arts taking place around the plaza. Those artists will be actively creating their pieces, with opportunities for photos, questions and more. They include sand sculpture, special effects makeup, metal smithing, wood lathe, product photography, symphonic band, sewing and quilting, chainsaw art, painting, and raku sculpture,
The Arts Fest’s will have the World Music Stage, at Third and Main, presented by Orchestra Nova Northwest. The schedule of performers:
9-9:45 a.m. — Chicamarimba10:15-11:00 a.m. — Oregon Koto Kai11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. — Orchestra Nova Northwest Bass12:45-2:30 p.m. — Melao De Cuba3-5 p.m. — Jan Micael Looking Wolf and Native Rose
For those worried about parking around downtown, there are three shuttle pickup locations. They pick up at the former Kmart parking lot, corner of Burnside and Eastman Parkway; Gresham Central Transit, Eighth and Kelly; and Gresham City Hall, 1333 N.W. Eastman Parkway. The shuttles drop off and pick up at the corner of Second and Kelly.
All of this is under new management after the foundation took over both the Gresham Arts Festival and the Christmas Tree Lighting from the city of Gresham. Both now fall within the “Spirit of Gresham” umbrella for arts and culture in East Multnomah County.
In addition to the revamped arts fest, the “Spirit of the Holidays” will not only have the tree lighting, but also gatherings for Chanukah, Kwanza, Three Kings Day and Lunar New Year.
Learn more by visiting SpiritofGresham.org.
The Gresham Center for the Arts Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded more than two decades ago. It is focused on enriching the community with diverse artistic experiences.
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