Have you ever seen an ad for some event, thought it looked interesting, then been disappointed when you went? Fortunately, the Alexandria King Street Art Festival is NOT one of those things. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. A HUGE gathering of artists representing nearly every conceivable art medium jamming more than half of King Street for an entire weekend! It’s a stunning spectacle of color and texture.
The 13th Annual Alexandria King Street Art Festival was our first; an event is so large and so full of art that it’s hard to believe it doesn’t have a website yet. Luckily, I had spotted a couple of ads and posts on Twitter from the essential source for all things Alexandria, Red Brick Town. I was intrigued enough to cancel other plans to check it out.
We headed toward the water on King Street, thinking the blocked off portion was the bottom two or three blocks. As we approached US 1, we realized it started WAY above Fairfax Street. It started at US 1! WOW!
Artists from Florida to New York, Indiana to the coast lined the street in booths – back to back all the way to Fairfax Street. That’s where King Street narrows and the artist booths get a little bigger. They open on both sides of the street so you get artists next to another instead of also back to back.
The intersections for cross streets are blocked off and filled with sculptures.
It is a cacophony of art – paintings, photos, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry and more.
You can find clocks and furniture, wall-hangings and scarves.
Despite the crowds on Saturday afternoon, it never felt over-crowded. The sun shone brightly, but the heat was mostly moderate for the last Saturday of the summer. We overheard one of the artists tell someone Sunday is always a better day. The forecast did, indeed, call for more moderate temperatures, but still sunny skies.
We found a few items worth making note of for our future new home, including some really cool wood sideboards and end tables. We’ll be back next year with our measurements…ready to buy.
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The World A to Z 