Art festival kicks off fall's event calendar

Mid-Missouri’s festival season is well under way.

The city’s 16th Annual Columbia Festival of the Arts will run from Sept. 29-30. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Based at the Boone County Courthouse Square and surrounding streets, this is a free festival that is open to the public.

The festival includes 50 different artists who will showcase and sell their pieces. The festival will feature a variety of kinds of art, including photography, paintings and three-dimensional works.

Seven of the artists are Columbia residents. The remainder come from across the country, some as far as Colorado and Florida. Every artist submitted an application to participate in the festival and were selected by a jury’s review.

A sampling of other upcoming festivals include:

• Twilight Festival, this Thursday and next in downtown Columbia. There are only two more weeks before the festival of music, food and entertainment shuts down until next June.
• Village of Cherry Hill Festival, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. This festival includes a restaurant “crawl” and an outdoor movie. Other activities include live music and face-painting.
• “Jazz, Wine and Beer” Pub Crawl, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. This annual fundraiser for the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series features 20 bands and 20 venues in downtown Columbia. Tickets are $35 and can be be purchased at the Jazz Series Box Office and at select Ticketmaster outlets.
• Octoberfest in Hermann takes place every weekend in October. On Saturdays the town sets up its Octoberfest Beer Tent from 4 to 10 p.m. where beer, wine, and food is served to accompany live music and dancing.
• Huntsdale Rendezvous and River Festival, Oct. 6-7. Located in Huntsdale, the festival features axe throwing, storytellers, live music and more.
• The Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 13-14. An event that celebrates all things pumpkin. Booths include crafts and food themed around pumpkins.