Downtown Festival & Art Show Presents a Weekend Concert

The Downtown Festival & Art Show will start rocking Friday, Oct. 12 with a free Friday Night Concert at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. This concert is presented by the City of Gainesville Cultural Affairs. The University of Florida School of Music groups will perform including the World Music Ensembles, Jazz Combo and Sunshine Steelers Steel Band.

New this year, a concert has been added on Saturday evening, the Downtown Blues Concert from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is presented by the North Central Florida Blues Society. Local favorites, Terraplane Blues Band, will kick off the show and get the crowd moving with their infectious, authentic blues tunes. The R. Mutt Blues Band will follow and plays “American standard” blues featuring driving updated reinterpretations of traditional blues classics as well as their own original blues compositions. Winners of the 2012 North Central Florida Blues Society Blues Challenge, R. Mutt will be representing North Central Florida at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis January 29 – February 2, 2013. Headlining the concert is John Nemeth who is a rising blues star; a singer steeped in the tradition and reminiscent of B.B. King, Ray Charles and Junior Parker, and a harmonica player of riveting intensity and virtuosity.

These well-known entertainers will join talented artists for the Downtown Festival & Art Show. This nationally recognized Festival will transform downtown Gainesville into a venue for award-winning artists and draws a crowd of more than 100,000 visitors. Presented by the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, the festival celebrates its 31st anniversary and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 13 and Sunday, Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the tree-lined streets of downtown Gainesville, from City Hall to the Hippodrome State Theatre. For two days, visitors can leisurely stroll through historic downtown and marvel at works from more than 250 of the nation’s most talented artists, who display their original oils and acrylics, vibrant watercolors, captivating sculptures, dazzling jewelry, decorative ceramics and vivid photography. Guests at the show can interact with artists while finding unique gifts for family and friends or purchase artwork for your own collection. They can also savor local and international cuisine and listen to live music performed on three stages. Children also have the chance to enjoy the festival and get creative at the Imagination Station, a free hands-on art activity area. For more information, visit www.gvlculturalaffairs.org or call 352-334-ARTS.