The 46th Annual Festival Of The Arts Begins In OKC

It's been an Oklahoma City tradition for 45 years. The 46th annual Festival of the Arts begins Tuesday, April 24 and runs through April 29. According to the Arts Council of Oklahoma City, the festival has been the city's "rite of spring" since 1967.

Each year the festival draws nearly 750,000 visitors in six days. If you go, you can expect free admission, a variety of art booths, food vendors, entertainment and fun activities.

Around 200 artists will be featured from all over the United States. This year's international poster artist is Brett Varney from Canada.

Four stages will be set up and feature non-stop performing arts entertainment ranging from elementary school performers to professional musicians. New this year, the Festival will dedicate one of the stages to its new program, Art Moves, presented by Devon. This stage will feature Art Moves artists and performers throughout Festival. This year's street performer is Al Millar. He is a contortionist from Australia commonly referred to as the Human Knot.

The Youth Plaza will include many activities for children and families. The Festival's youngest artists will hold a Youth Art Sale on Saturday, April 28. Kids ages eight to 18 present will display their own artwork for sale. In a special no-adults-allowed section, children can purchase art created by their favorite Festival artists for $5 or less. Three other areas where kids can enjoy some art activities will include Build a Bug and the Doodle Den, where they can create their own artwork. They also can try their hand at tie-dye and jewelry making at the Wearable Workshop.

Now, let's talk about the food. The International Food Row will feature old favorites like Helmut's Strudel, Strawberries Newport and Gopuram – Taste of India. A few returning vendors are Interurban, Deep Fork Grill, Papa's Greek Food and Sammy's Pizza. Each food vendor is partnered with a local arts-related non-profit agency, so each bite goes to support the arts in central Oklahoma.

The Festival of the Arts is produced by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City and takes place April 24-29 in downtown Oklahoma City at the Festival Plaza and the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free, and pets are not allowed.

Find out more about the Festival of the Arts and the Arts Council of Oklahoma City!