Chalk artists will be bringing their artwork to Mount Vernon’s uptown streets this Saturday and Sunday as Chalk the Walk returns for another year.
The festival’s artists will be working on their pieces beginning 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 6 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 7. Awards will be annoounced Sunday afternoon by the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council.
Citizens and visitors are invited to come and explore the festival.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Director Joe Jennison and Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation Director Matt Siders said that there will be a total of 170 individual art pieces in this year’s festival, as well as the 40 foot by 60 foot recreation of Van Gogh’s “Artist Bedroom at Arles” piece at the intersection of First Street and Second avenue in Mount Vernon.
Art by Mount Vernon Sixth graders will also be on display in front of Mount Vernon City Hall.
The festival has eight outdoor food vendors this year — with three located at the West end of First Street (the intersection of First Street and Third Avenue) and five located at the east end of First Street (in and in front of Iowa Physical Therapy, CAUSETEAM and Shear Madness Salon’s parking lot at First Street and A. Avenue).
Street clossures will begin at 5 a.m. Saturday May 6, with First Street from A Avenue to Third Avenue being closed until 8 p.m. Sunday, May 7. Second avenue South from Bauman’s to the alley next to Night Shift) and Second avenue North (from Lincoln Wine Bar to the alley) will close at 5 a.m. Saturday and not reopen until Sunday, May 7 at 8 p.m.
All streets on festival grounds will be blocked using concrete barricades.
No parking signs will be set out late Friday afternoon in the uptown to remind everyone of the festival coming that weekend.
Chalk the Walk Saturday, Sunday
May 4, 2023
Work is finishing up on the interactive “Artist Bedroom at Arles” piece that will be located west of the Mount Vernon City Hall. The piece will be installed Friday evening, as street closures begin happening in Mount Vernon.
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.