Summer Art Festival In Downtown Gig Harbor This Weekend

GIG HARBOR, WA — The city's 35th annual Summer Art Festival is downtown this weekend. Live music, kids activities, food vendors, and — of course — a variety of artists will be on hand throughout the two-day event.

Beginning Friday at 5 p.m., the festival will close down a portion of Judson Street, between Pioneer Way and Soundview Drive, giving festival goers a free thoroughfare to safely explore the wares of artists and vendors. Additionally, works created by the Peninsula Art League will be on display at 7 Seas Brewing, in the mall area south of Judson Street.

More than 100 artists will be present at the festival this year, selling everything from crafts to paintings to books. And live music will be ongoing as well, featuring performers such as Sheri and Da Boyz, Spare Thyme Duo, Sweet Mary and the Gibson Girl, and Elijah Bossenbroek. A full concert schedule lineup is available on the festival's Facebook page.

Food vendors will include Mystery Bay Coastal Cuisine, BBQ2U, Taste of Peru, Red Barn Popcorn, Sweetly Spun Cotton Candy, and Carter & Co.'s chocolates, ice cream, and pastries.

With limited parking, a free shuttle will be available to transport community members to the festival from Franciscan Medical Pavilion, located at 6401 Kimball Dr. The shuttle is scheduled to run between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday. The shuttle is also wheelchair and stroller-friendly.

Judson Street will reopen at the festival's conclusion, currently set for 9 p.m. July 21.

For questions about the closure, contact Ken Andrews at the city's Public Works Department at 253-851-6170.

And for more information on the festival, visit www.peninsulaartleague.com.