Spring is in the air and that can only mean one thing—art festivals, sidewalk shopping, live entertainment, and rich, cultural celebrations across the Magnolia State.
And set among a Gulf Coast canopy of live oak trees you’ll find the 30th annual Spring Arts Festival in downtown Ocean Springs on March 25 and 26.
“The Spring Arts Festival has grown in recent years to become a mini-Peter Anderson Festival,” said Cynthia Sutton, executive director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce & Main Street-Tourism Bureau.
“We are truly excited and honored to work with such remarkable artists locally and from around the nation for this festival,” she added.
New this year is a presenting sponsor partnership with Michelob Ultra, an Anheuser-Busch product distributed by local wholesaler Mitchell Distributing. With warehouse locations in Meridian, Leland, Shannon, and Gulfport, Mitchell Distributing is the largest Anheuser-Busch wholesaler in Mississippi.
“Mitchell Distributing is honored to be a part of the Springs Arts Festival in Ocean Springs this year,” said Anna Grace Tanner, communications manager of Mitchell Distributing. “Being involved in our local communities is extremely important to our business and once we heard about this festival, we knew it was something we wanted to get involved in. We’re thankful for our partnership with the Ocean Springs Chamber team and look forward to continuing to work together on bringing more great events to the community in the future.”
More than 200 artists, crafters, and plant vendors will highlight spring offerings of paintings, pottery, jewelry, and plants. The event will also feature hundreds of locally owned-shops, galleries, and restaurants. The Ocean Springs Art Association and Ocean Springs Fresh Market helped to organize this event and host the weekend series of demonstrations and entertaining educational lectures.
On March 25, the demonstrations will include, Knife Skills 101, with a free set of knives for participants, from 11 a.m. until noon. Rhonda Richmond, traveling watercolors, from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m., and Magnolia Mushrooms, cooking gourmet mushrooms with free samples and recipes from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. On March 26, the demonstrations will include, Steve Crocker, hand-built pottery, from 11 a.m. until noon. Curious Chef Cheri will cook strawberry basil crepes with children and adults complete with free samples and recipes from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m., and Heather Martin with Ethotera Art Studio will have art demonstrations from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.
The music lineup for both days is set for 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. and includes Nic Nall at the Trolley Stop, Kashus Culpepper at the former Kwitsky’s building on Government Street, and Jessica Horton at The Pink Rooster.
Sutton invited everyone throughout the Magnolia State to come out and celebrate springtime in Ocean Springs—downtown, uptown, and all around town.
“Our local shops, restaurants, and galleries will join in making this event an outstanding arts and crafts festival,” Sutton said. “Come out and enjoy. Grab a commemorative t-shirt and celebrate springtime in Ocean Springs.”
Click here or call 228-875-4424 for additional information about the Spring Arts Festival.
Photos courtesy of the Spring Arts Festival in Ocean Springs.
