Your guide of what to do at Artsplosure as festival returns to downtown Raleigh
Artsplosure, the signature art festival that takes over downtown Raleigh every year, is returning this weekend for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The two-day festival features live music, performance art, interactive exhibits, children’s activities and an extensive selection of art work for purchase.
It’s set to take place Oct. 9 and 10 along Fayetteville Street. The family-friendly event is free and will be held rain or shine.
After being postponed and later canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Artsplosure was scheduled to return in March before organizers delayed it until this month.
To mark the festival’s long-awaited return, organizers “are going big” this year, said Lucy Tobias, Artsplosure’s marketing director. Festival-goers will be able to visit up to 170 artist booths, and two stages on either end of Fayetteville Street will supply non-stop music.
“We’re thrilled for the return of Artsplosure’s namesake festival, as it provides a physical space for the community to come together and celebrate our mission of ‘Art for all,’” Tobias said in an email.
The art
Throughout the weekend, the “Art Market” will line multiple blocks of Fayetteville Street, between the City Plaza and Morgan Street stages. It will be open Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Festival-goers can browse an extensive selection of artwork available for purchase, which will include paintings, photographs, ceramics, fiber art, jewelry, metal sculptures, 3D art, and wood and glass works too.
An hour on Sunday from 10 to 11 a.m., will be reserved for people with accessibility needs, according to the festival website.
For those who want to see ceramic-making up close, local ceramicists will also offer live pottery demonstrations, as one of multiple installations and activities organizers have planned.
The music
More than a dozen artists are scheduled to perform over the course of the weekend, including Son Little, an R&B musician and Philadelphia native who will be the headliner on Saturday, and Brittney Spencer, a Nashville-based country singer and songwriter who will headline on Sunday.
Other performers will include Syrian-American R&B and soul group Bassel and the Supernaturals; indigenous guitarist Lakota John, who grew up in Pembroke; southern folk singer and guitarist Christopher Paul Stelling; Chapel Hill Americana duo Blue Cactus; and Thunderstorm Artis, the 23-year-old musician who was a finalist last year on NBC’s “The Voice.”
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What’s new?
A new interactive installation this year is the Song Confessional trailer, a project by musicians Walker Lukens and Zac Catanzaro.
All weekend long, festival-goers can head to the blue trailer on the corner of Hargett and Fayetteville Streets, where they can anonymously share a confession or personal story in the small cabin, which is designed to “emulate a traditional confessional booth.”
“At Artsplosure, we’ll have somebody outside the trailer explaining what this project is and then if there’s no one in there, you can go in and give a confession,” Lukens explained in an interview with festival organizers. “If someone’s in there, we’ll get your phone number and text you when it’s free. We have a whole partition, it’s like a real Catholic confession. You can talk to your rock and roll priest.”
After confessions have been made, Lukens and Catanzaro work with musicians to turn the stories into original songs, which are later featured on the Song Confessional podcast. Once the confession has been transformed into a song, it’s shipped to “confessors” on a seven-inch vinyl record.
Kids activities
Organizers have also planned several Halloween-themed activities for children at the Kidsplosure section of the festival on Martin Street. In addition to a magic show, there will be face painting, sidewalk chalk, pumpkin decorating, and more.
More information
For more information about festival activities and accommodations, and a map of where installations will be located, check the Artsplosure website at raleighartsfestival.com.
This story was originally published October 8, 2021 at 3:49 PM.
