Downtown Stettler will be decorated with creative art in the fifth annual Art Walk in conjunction with the 22nd annual Heartland Quilter Quilt Show weekend.
“We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the art and quilts and fresh air,” said Andrea Hatch, downtown art gallery owner, who is co-ordinating the event with the Town of Stettler.
“So far, we have 40 artists and four different musicians who will perform.”
This year will feature a growing number of younger artists.
“We have a lot more participation from school students,” Hatch said.
That will include students from Stettler Middle School, William E. Hay Composite High School and possibly Christ-King Catholic School, she said.
“Our goal is to make this more of a family event.”
Main Street will be lined with art for the Art Walk on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the quilt show at Stettler Legion is set for Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“The downtown businesses enjoy this event because it attracts people and new customers downtown and we get good participating from businesses,” said Lee Penner, director of Town of Stettler Parks and Leisure Services.
Artists from the Stettler region and throughout central and east-central Alberta will showcase their works.
If the weather is poor, the show will move inside.
Over the years, the walk has become prosperous for the artists.
“Despite the wet and snowy weather last year, we have seen an increase in art sales,” Hatch said.
During the quilt show, visitors can vote for the viewers’ choice, enter raffles and enjoy refreshments.
While the Art Walk is free, an admission fee of $5 will be charged for the quilt show.
For more information on the art walk, phone Penner at 403-742-4411, or Hatch at 403-742-5170.
RICHARD FROESE, Independent reporter