The Village of Lewiston has only about 2,500 residents, but this weekend more than 10 times that number are expected there for the 56th annual Lewiston Art Festival.
The art festival, which will showcase the work of more than 160 professional and student artists on Center Street, runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Lewiston’s reputation as a thriving arts community is due in no small part to the annual outdoor art festival, while ArtPark and the Lewiston Jazz Festival also draw big crowds.
“Last year was a record year for attendance and sales. In the past we conservatively estimated 25,000 (visitors) over the course of the weekend but I’d add 10,000 to that for last year,” said Irene Rykaszewski, executive director of the Lewiston Council on the Arts, which organizes the festival.
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“Our elected officials at all levels have consistently invested in the arts,” she said. “They recognize that a strong arts sector is an economic driver that stimulates business activity, attracts tourism and expands the tax base, while creating a vibrant community where people want to live.“
Center Street will be closed to vehicles between 4th and 8th Streets during the festival, which will also feature musicians and a stilt walker, free children’s activities, and Native American artists, dancers and storytellers from Haudenosaunee nations.