Looking for that perfect Mother's Day weekend outing for mom, a unique gift for her, or a great date night location? The Watters Creek Allen Arts Festival, in partnership with the Allen Arts Alliance, is May 9-11 at Allen's favorite resort-style shopping destination. Shoppers can peruse a juried selection of outstanding fine arts and crafts from artists while enjoying children’s interactive art activities, face painting and live entertainment. The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Allen Arts Alliance, and is free and open to the public.
"Watters Creek is proud to support the arts and is excited about our partnership with the Allen Arts Alliance," said Glenda Garcia Ochoa, marketing director of Watters Creek. "This event is popular with our shoppers because of the amazing artists that come in from all over the state to show and sell their work. This is the best way to enjoy art right here in Collin County -- in a beautiful outdoor setting at Watters Creek."
Sixty-five local, state, and nationwide artists have been chosen by the Allen Arts Alliance to host a booth at the festival, where their work will be available for sale. Gallery-quality pieces in a wide variety of artistic mediums will be presented, from painting to photography, jewelry to metal, sculpture to glass, clay, digital art, mixed media and more. Artists submitted their work for review by an esteemed panel of judges from the art world to be selected to exhibit at the Watters Creek Allen Arts Festival and, of the hundreds of applications submitted, only the top 65 were selected to exhibit and sell their art. Artists will be present at their booths during festival hours to discuss their work and explain the processes and materials used in their pieces.
For your own little Picasso, the Allen Arts Alliance will host free make-and-take art activities, face painting, storytelling and more to inspire a little one's love for the arts all weekend. Kids and adults alike will enjoy a free outdoor performance on The Green from The Breakfast Band, which will entertain audiences from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 10.
Funds raised from the festival will go to support initiatives of the Allen Arts Alliance, including grants to fund local arts group programs and events; ArtsReach, an art program for youth that otherwise would not be served by arts programs; and Allen Art to Go, an art enrichment program for the community elementary schools.
The three-day outdoor festival is being held at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm, a resort-style development that includes meandering pathways through beautiful landscape with more than 500 trees and water views, providing an inviting backdrop for the displayed art and live entertainment. Nothing goes better with art, music and shopping than delicious dining, and Watters Creek has a host of restaurants that are perfect for a Mother's Day brunch or a special date night dinner.
The Watters Creek Fine Arts Festival is Friday, May 9, 4 p.m. until dusk; Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m. until dusk; and Sunday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to all ages. Parking is free.
For more information call 972-747-8000 or visit www.watterscreek.com.