The 37th annual CenterFest Arts Festival gives students and residents an opportunity to view art, eat, shop, hear live music and support local causes—not to mention escape the back-to-school grind for a few hours to explore the Durham art scene.
As the longest-running street arts celebration in North Carolina, the festival features a variety of artists and nonprofit organizations, as well as live performances that range from dance groups like Flamenco Carolina to bands such as Skeedaddle—a Durham-based, Americana string band. The “Creative Kids Zone” also offers face painting, drum making and other crafts for CenterFest’s youngest visitors.
CenterFest is a combination of six basic “ingredients”: visual arts, performances, food, nonprofits, the childrens’ areas and hopefully sunshine, said Margaret DeMott, director of artist services for the Durham Arts Council, which sponsors the weekend each year.
“It’s our largest community event, so it’s our chance to reach as many people as possible,” she said.
This year, CenterFest will feature 124 artists from 11 different states. DeMott added that she expects as many as 25,000 people to attend.
CenterFest is one of the ways DAC strives to stimulate interaction between artists and the larger Durham community. Juried by a panel of three fine arts judges, the festival offers a “Best of Show” prize of $1,000 as well as first, second and third place prizes.
“I enjoy [participating in CenterFest] because you meet so many new people,” said Durham-based artist Ashley Brodie, who has showcased her handmade jewelry at the festival for the past three years. “It’s also a good way to sell my jewelry and bring awareness [of my business] to people who come to the event.”
In addition to showcasing the visual arts, 26 performance groups will appear on three different stages. The Midway Stage features a variety of local dance groups, including the Inis Cairde School of Irish Dance, the Bouncing Bulldogs Rope Skipping Team and the Little River Cloggers. The Fox 50, Mix 101.5, WRAL.com North Stage and The Herald-Sun South Stage will host a variety of bands and orchestras that play everything from folk to Americana to Latin music.
The CenterFest has evolved from an artist showcase into an interactive community event. 34 local non-profit, government and civic groups will participate in the Community Showcase section of Centerfest. The City of Durham Department of Water Management, for example, plans to offer tips for conserving water and will exchange visitors’ old showerheads for water-efficient models free of charge.
CenterFest takes place Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sept. 19 from noon to 6 p.m. on Foster Street in historic downtown Durham. There is a suggested donation of $4 per person.
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