The 62nd Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
2021 Poster Artist Victor Bokas
It’s finally here, after a 14-month delay, one of Central Florida’s favorite outdoor events returns! The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, will be held on May14,15,16, 2021. It is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious juried fine art shows. Ranked among the most highly regarded outdoor art shows in the nation, its artists compete for one of the largest cash awards ($74,500) among the top shows. The festival features current, original artwork that has been designed and executed by the exhibiting artists.
The show is held in historic downtown Winter Park, a beautifully landscaped area whose surrounding streets are closed during the Festival to allow for foot traffic only. Artists’ booths nestle under large oak trees in Central Park and line Park Avenue in the heart of this charming downtown with brick streets, unique boutique shops, and inviting outdoor cafes and bistros. A robust attendance is expected for the three-day festival, which is traditionally one of Central Florida’s largest outdoor events. This year, 175 fine artists and 3 emerging artists are participating, chosen from more than 1100 national and international applications.
Along with the outstanding visual arts and beautiful setting, the festival features a wide selection of food and beverage vendors to please the whole family. In an effort to make this a safe and healthy event with expanded distancing of the artists’ booths, the Children’s Workshop and Leon Theodore Schools Exhibit will not be part of the live event this year, but can be seen by accessing March’s virtual festival on the website at wpsaf.org. There will be entertaining music throughout the festival, but there will be no Friday night concert.
The commemorative poster, t-shirts and other memorabilia will be available at three merchandise sales tents throughout the festival, plus a vintage tent. This year’s vibrant and whimsical poster is a mixed media collage called “Flamingos and Friends Exploring Winter Park” by popular local artist Victor Bokas. It’s a companion poster to his last year’s poster called “Springtime 2020”. After the Festival is over, you can still purchase this year’s and past posters by visiting the festival’s website. For more details about this year’s festival visit the website at https://www.wpsaf.org/.
No animals are allowed (except certified service animals) in Central Park or on Park Avenue between New England and Canton Avenues during festival hours, per a City of Winter Park Ordinance. Visitors are asked to follow current COVID-19 CDC guidelines. Although no longer mandated by the state, the city encourages that face masks/coverings be worn for the protection of yourselves and others at your comfort level. Keep a safe social distance from others, avoid standing in crowded areas and wash your hands frequently. Hand washing stations and sanitizer will be available throughout the park.
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