Aubuchon Strong

More than 100,000 people are expected to converge on downtown Cape Coral for the upcoming Cape Coral Festival of the Arts, where rows of booths will be set up displaying everything from photography and sculptures to original paintings and custom jewelry.

The festival is Saturday and Sunday, Jan/ 12 and 13, from 100:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Cape Coral, on Cape Coral Parkway from Del Prado Boulevard to Vincennes Boulevard.

The event, which is hosted by the Rotary Club of Cape Coral and sponsored by RealMark Development Agency, will feature 300 exhibitors from all over the country who will be lined up along Cape Coral Parkway from Del Prado Boulevard up to Vincennes Boulevard.

“This is just a fun time for the whole family,” said John Jacobsen, Rotary Club member and chairmen for the festival.

Entering its 23 year, the festival got its start when Jacobsen noticed there wasn’t much in the area for people who wanted to attend art shows or see original art work.

“We didn’t have art shows here or any museums at the time,” he said. “So I went to the Rotary and presented an idea for an art show, and they said great idea, you put it together.”

And he has been ever since.

According to Jacobsen, the first-ever festival was held in Jaycee Park, hosted 140 artists and boasted more than 5,000 attendees.

“It was well attended from the start,” he said. “And it just grown and grown ever since.”

It grew so fast, in fact, that it needed to be moved from its original site. The decision was made to hold it on Cape Coral Parkway, and close the street down for the two days of the event.

“Once we moved it to the parkway, it really took off,” he said.

Attendees of the Cape Coral Arts Festival can expect to see full range of art pieces, including small pieces of custom jewelry, hand-made crafts, sculptures, paintings and photography.

“We will have something there for everyone’s tastes,” said Jacobsen. “We will also have something to fit everyone’s budget.”

Jacobsen said prices will range from $5 to $10,000.

Participating artists will have a chance at winning prizes in a best in show category with a prize of $1,000 and first, second and third prize for $500, $250 and $150, respectively, in the categories of painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry and fine crafts.

The judge for this years festival is Claire V. Dorst from Boca Raton.

“He is a college and university art teacher with 35 years of experience,” said Jacobsen. “He is also the founding president of the West Palm Beach Watercolor Society.”

Dorst’s biography indicates he has a vast exhibiting record including juried regional and national competitions, as well as numerous sidewalk art shows. He has also been called upon to judge competitions, demonstrate his painting techniques, hold workshops and conduct critique sessions for art groups.

Hungry festival-goers will also have a chance to taste a wide variety of food provided by Little Joe.

“Little Joe is a hometown hero,” said Jacobsen. “After the first time he provided the food for the festival, he loved the area here so much he moved his business here.”

According to Jacobsen attendees can expect to find anything from traditional fair foods to Greek, pizza and Chinese. In addition to all of the food booths which will be set up around the festival, people will have the opportunity to eat at one of the many downtown restaurants.

Jacobsen said that in addition to being a great family event, the festival does serve another purpose as it is a great way to bring people who normally wouldn’t go into the downtown area in to check out the local restaurants and shops.

“The festival is a great economic stimulus,” he said. “Hotels fill up and many of the downtown restaurants have record sales during that weekend.”

To get the festival up and running, it takes approximately 100 volunteers. Most of them are Rotarians although Jacobsen said they do welcome any additional help.

“It takes a lot of work to close down the parkway, get the festival going and then clean up afterwards,” said Jacobsen. “Our aim is to make it look like we were never there by Monday morning.”

For more information on the Cape Coral Arts Festival please visit the Web site www.capecoralfestival.com or call 945-1988.

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