20th Annual Festival of the Arts, Oct. 24-25

While Destin is renowned for white sand beaches and great fishing, this coastal city is often overlooked as a destination for culture and art. Fortunately, Destin’s cultural organizations, including the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, Mattie Kelly Arts Center, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Emerald Coast Theatre Company, are creating culturally rich events that celebrate the arts year round.
 
Next up, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation will host the 20th Annual Festival of the Arts, Oct. 24-25, at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village in Destin, FL  One of the Southeast's premier art festivals, the two-day event features more than 100 artists from 12 states, showcasing 18 different art mediums. Art lovers of all ages will be able to watch artists create works of art before your eyes, browse art from dozens of emerging new and student artists, and get hands-on in the interactive children’s art station.
   
This year, 25 new artists will participate in displaying everything from oil paintings and fine photography to mixed media, mosaics, sculpture, clay ceramics, jewelry and more. As a juried art competition, the artists are competing for $10,000 in cash prizes.
 
In addition, on Saturday festival-goers are invited to vote for the “People’s Choice” Artist Award by casting a ballot located at the Main Festival Entrance. Kids of all ages are invited to interact and immerse themselves in the vibrant art scene. A team of volunteers in the Kid’s ArtStop Tent will work with young aspiring artists to create hands-on interactive art activities, pumpkin paintings, face painting, mask painting and other fun fall crafts, and add their individual flair to a group mural on canvas. 
 
Six local and regional musicians and bands will perform live throughout the weekend on stage at The Dugas Pavilion. Here’s the line-up: 
Saturday, Oct. 24
Jeff Glickman and the Panhandle All Stars (9:30-11:30 a.m.)
Indie/Pop band Continuum (noon-2 p.m.)
The Dharma Beats (2:30-4:30 p.m.)
 
Sunday, Oct. 25
Noodle Soup (11 a.m.-noon)
Roman Street (12:30-2:30 p.m.)
Texas-born singer-songwriter-guitarist Joseph Ely (3-4:30 p.m.)
 
Our dear friend, Destin folk artist Andrea “Andi” Scurto, will be exhibiting at the Festival and is the 2015 Festival of the Arts poster winner. Andi’s winning art piece features a simple, but bold color illustration of a reticulated giraffe (she aptly named “Mattie”) riding an enormous vintage bicycle. Signed and numbered poster prints and souvenir t-shirts will be available for sale in the Souvenir Tent.

In addition, attendees may enter the charity benefit drawing for chances to win a range of original artwork generously donated by the 2015 Festival artists. The drawing will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. (you do not need to be present to win).    
  
Free parking is available at Grace Lutheran Church located adjacent to the Cultural Arts Village and at Emerald Coast Centre, located on Highway 98 near Beall’s Department Store, and ride the free continuous shuttle service right to the main entrance. The Festival is open to the public and runs Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily admission is $5. The event is free to children under 12 and MKAF members. For more info visit www.mattiekellyartsfoundation.org.
  
Looking for a comfortable vacation rental near the festival? View Newman-Dailey’s premier Destin vacation rentals online,including spacious rental homes, condominiums, and colorful, coastal rooms at Beachside Inn. Or let us do the research for you by calling one of our friendly vacation specialists at 1-800-225-7652.

See you @ the beach!