Festival offers many activities and entertainment options

• Spirited fun

The Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival always includes a variety of entertainment and fun.

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Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival set Sept. 22, 23

The Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, in partnership with The Phipps Center for the Arts, is organizing the Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival, Sept. 22 and 23 in Lakefront Park.

The Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival draws thousands of visitors to Hudson every year. This year the festival offers even more art in the park, with 80-plus juried artists. Acoustic musicians will add to the atmosphere of fine art and fall flavors. The two-day event will begin Saturday, Sept 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continues Sunday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New hands-on activities add to this year’s festival include:

“The art of….”

--Painting pottery with Artist Mark Lusardi

--Painting rain barrels with Sustain Hudson

--Paint canvas with Artist Jeff Boutin

--Throwing clay with The Phipps Center for the Arts

--Character creations by Trap Door, The Phipps Center for the Arts

--Live street performers…how do they do that?

--Strolling musician invites you try a fiddle, mandolin and a variety of instruments

--Morphology…a board game with life-size, sculptural pieces inviting audience participation

--Origami…The swan & beyond, created by you with the Kiwanis of Greater Hudson

--Health & Wellness - Create your own “Healthy Tail” tale with Hudson Hospital & Clinics

--Bring on the bling with a sand bangle bracelet with Associated Bank

--Creative recycling…newspaper “Fair Hats” with Pioneer Press/Twincities.com.

--Pumpkin décor with Walmart

--Saving…create a bank with WESTconsin Credit Union

The event also features 45 minute demonstrations:

“The Art of…”

--Indoor Gardens, Terrariums & Succulents by Hudson Flower Shop

--Massage, by Massage Envy

--Conservation framing, Kelley Gallery Art & Frame

--Decorating with Winter Greenery, My Sister’s Garden

Perfromances

The festival will showcase a variety of performing talent. Live acoustic music will be performed both days on two stages at the Lakefront Park band shell and in the Artist Village.

Saturday

--Acoustic, live from the Artist Village, Paul Imholte (strolling musician), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Imholte performs traditional and original music on nearly a dozen string instruments.

--Acoustic, live from the Artist Village, Joe Christensen and Nicole Lewandowski, 1-3 p.m. Their music is influenced by the old school greats such as Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Otis Redding, but they also trace their roots to modern artists Corinne Bailey Rae, John Mayer, D’angelo and Derek Trucks.

--Acoustic, live from the Artist Village, August Blues: Pop, Classic Rock and Blues Ban, 3 to 5 p.m. Referred to as a “J. Arthur’s Coffee House favorite,” August Blues is a band that is making a name for itself in the area. Band members McKenna Selissen, Cavan Denning and Dylan White are high school students from Hudson.

--Live from Lakefront band shell, Devine Collection: Soul, Funk, R&B, Rock, Jazz, 1 to 4 p.m.

The Devine Collection ranges from “hip hop to be-bop to funk to fusion, from high life to reggae to rock and roll.”

Sunday

--Acoustic, live from the Artist Village:

The Nicole and Joe Band: R&B, Blues and Jazz, noon to 2 p.m.

August Blues: Pop, Classic Rock and Blues Band, 2 to 4 p.m.

--Live from Lakefront Band Shell, Devine Collection: Soul, Funk, R&B, Rock, Jazz, 1 to 4 p.m.

Other events

Bring your family and your creativity and play Morphology, where participants get to carry around wood people three feet tall, roll rain barrels and play with rope to get your teammates laughing and guessing.

Also in the park will be a return of the Living Statues on Saturday and Sunday.

Fall flavors include a sampling from Carbone’s Pizzeria, Urban Olive & Vine, Hudson Bagel & Coffee Co., Stockwell’s Maple Treats, Two Rivers Kettle Korn, Viking Coca-Cola, K and C Concessions, and LocoVores.

For more information contact the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau at (715) 386-8411 or www.hudsonwi.org.

Sponsors of the festivities include:

Platinum: Associated Bank, WESTconsin Credit Union, Hudson Hospital & Clinics and Walmart.

Gold: Xcel Energy, County Market, Viking Coca-Cola, Steiner Plumbing, Electric & Heating, Inc. and Lommen, Abdo, Cole, King & Stageberg, P.A.

Silver: Pier 500, General Beer, American Sky Beer by Hudson Brewing Company LLC and First State Bank & Trust.

Bronze: Citizens State Bank, SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery, Hudson Independent Business Association, San Pedro Café, Barker’s Bar & Grill, Massage Envy-Hudson, Sam’s Club and Family Fresh Market.

Advertising Sponsor: Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com

Tags: lifestyle, entertainment, arts