Free visual and performing arts festival returns with in-person activities

Downtown Dayton will be bathed in sound and color when more than 300 visual and performing artists and arts organizations gather for Art in the City on Saturday, August 7. Starting at 11 a.m., the public is invited to experience this immersive arts festival, part of the AES Ohio Summer in the City. 

Celebrating its fifth year, the free festival returns with in-person activities following a virtual 2020 celebration, and is bigger than ever. The full day of offerings will include a variety of Dayton’s best artistic talent – from painting and drawing, to spoken word poetry and dance – all together filling the streets of downtown Dayton and multiple stages, including the grand opening of The Arcade.

“Art in the City is about celebrating the immense creative talent that lives in Dayton and finds inspiration in our city and our community,” said Sandra K. Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, which is organizing the festival. 

Art in the City will bring art to every corner of downtown Dayton, including special hands-on community activities such as:

• Chalk the Block: A huge chalk mural where you help fill in the masterpiece, sponsored by PNC 
• Artist’s Row: A how-to paint and draw area, sponsored by AES Ohio
• The Artisan Market: On Courthouse Square with dozens of local artists displaying their goods, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank
• Gem City Selfie Museum Station: Explore unique and interactive backdrops
• AAVAG Notecard Workshop: Create and personalize your own card with the African American Visual Arts Guild
• The Family Zone: Activities for all ages including a bubble zone, live animals, face painting, hula hoop classes, music, an interactive Paper Quill Mural with the Dayton Art Institute, and more – sponsored by PNC 
• Dress Up with the Dayton Theater Guild: Dress up with professional props and costumes at this photo booth
• Movie Magic with Film Dayton: Learn about and be a part of a local documentary filmed on location
• Arcade Festival: Dayton Arcade will close down Fourth Street with food vendors and more, as guests with free, reserved tickets can enter to tour the inside of the building

A map with the day’s schedule of events can be found online at https://www.downtowndayton.org/things-to-do/summer-in-the-city/art-in-the-city/