Among the many exhibits will be characters such as Mr. Bubbles, an illusionist and balloon artists for the younger crowd, and a variety of music, food and belly dancers for the more mature participants. As well as tie dyeing, a blacksmith, a poetry slam and live painting with stories for everyone in between. There will be more local cuisine as well as locally crafted beer and wines than in years past. Organizers of Arts Alive! are passionate about the arts as well as the community and have sought to build on the traditional aspects of the festival as well as adding many new experiences, but they haven’t nearly reached their full
Zach Deputy
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vision of the potential scope of the festival. In future years, they hope to continue to reach out locally and regionally to foster more artists and performers as well as vendors, and stretch geographically to include the wharf district and becoming a “street fair� atmosphere similar to the Festiv-all event in Charleston, WV. Planners of Arts Alive! are also hoping to include more local and regional organizations such as M. T. Pockets Theatre, Monongalia Arts and the MAC to independently develop and execute programs of their own under the umbrella of the Arts Alive! festival.