FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2018
DON’T MISS CHATHAM ARTS COUNCIL’S 16TH ANNUAL CLYDEFEST
Kids’ Carnival Celebrates Local Folk Artist, Clyde Jones, While Dishing Out Heaps of Family Fun
Bynum, NC – It’s back! The Chatham Arts Council is pleased to announce the 16th annual ClydeFEST on April 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bynum Ball Park. This family-friendly, old school kids’ carnival celebrates Clyde Jones, a renowned folk artist, lovingly known locally as the “critter artist.”
“It’s all about the children,” says Jones, who will be on-site to witness the enthusiasm of nearly 2,000 children and children-at-heart. This year’s event won’t disappoint with Jones’ cedar “critter” cutouts in Critterville, local artists, arts and crafts projects, face painting, hula hoops, old-fashioned carnival games (all hand-crafted to mirror Jones’ artistic touch), live performances, a Clyde Jones Critter auction, and local food trucks determined to satisfy an appetite.
Chatham Arts Council’s homegrown ClydeFEST aligns with its mission to invest in artists and educate kids through the arts across Chatham County. “ClydeFEST has been a labor of love for so many years,” remarked Taylor Hobbs, Chatham Arts Council Board President. “We love hosting local artists and exposing children at a young age to the beauty of art. Anyone can create, and ClydeFEST offers that opportunity to all who attend and are willing to get messy.”
ClydeFEST is an interactive event that provides an opportunity for kids and parents to reconnect through arts, creativity, and old-fashioned play. Families have been attending the event for years from miles away, all coming together to marvel at Jones’ critters.
ClydeFEST is a celebration of community. Chatham Arts Council is grateful to the more than 30 local businesses partnering in this event, including generous sponsorships by Chatham Park, Duke Energy, Chatham Magazine, Hobbs Architects, Penguin Place, Dermatology & Laser Center of Chapel Hill, Cheek Electric, Corporate Investors Mortgage Group, Julie Cummins, and The Kindred Gallery at Rosemary House B&B. In addition, more than 11 nonprofits and upwards of 150 volunteers are coming together to make ClydeFEST a success. Chatham Arts Council is still accepting volunteers for ClydeFEST at www.chathamartscouncil.org/clydefest-volunteer-registration.
ClydeFEST 2018 Event Details
ClydeFEST is held at the Bynum Ball Park just south of Chapel Hill/Carrboro towards Pittsboro. Admission is $5 for ages 3 to 11, $9 for ages 12 and up; children under 2 are FREE. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held on Sunday, April 15 from 12 to 5 p.m. Advance tickets can be purchased online: https://clydefest2018.brownpapertickets.com/.
ABOUT THE CHATHAM ARTS COUNCIL
The Chatham Arts Council nurtures creative thinkers in Chatham County. We do this in two ways: we invest in artists and we educate kids through the arts. In its thirty-fifth year as a nonprofit arts agency, Chatham Arts Council’s flagship programs include Meet This Artist, Go See This, Grassroots Arts Grants, and the Chatham Artists-in-Schools Initiative – serving more than 2,500 children this year. Chatham Arts Council is proud to partner with the NC Arts Council, the Durham Arts Council, Chatham County Schools, and numerous Chatham arts organizations, human resource nonprofits, and local businesses. For more information, visit www.chathamartscouncil.org.
CONTACT: April Starling, Marketing/Public Relations Leader of the Chatham Arts Council, april@chathamartscouncil.org or 917.544.0608.
NOTE: Feel free to publish partially or in its entirety, with or without a byline. The article was written by April Starling, Marketing/Public Relations Leader, Chatham Arts Council.
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