Street Festival features six events

Downtown Mount Pleasant will host six different events this weekend for the inaugural Downtown Mount Pleasant Street Festival.

Michelle Sponseller, downtown development director for Mount Pleasant, said the festival, which begins Thursday and ends Sunday, is combining the 56th annual Sidewalk sales, fourth annual downtown Arts and Crafts show, and second “Chalk It” exhibition with new programs.

Mount Pleasant will feature its first-ever Blues Festival, “Dancin’ in the Streets,” and the “Mid-West Music Festival.”

The “Mid-West Music Festival” started hosting free music concerts Tuesday.

“More then 60 bands playing… They are playing at Rubbles, they are playing at Fifi’s French Press, also the Broadway Theatre and outside as well,” Sponseller said.

The concerts feature a number of genres, from rock and roll and hip-hop to bluegrass and blues.

“This is my fourth year doing this. For two years we started adding more things into it, we (re-named) it the Downtown Mount Pleasant Street Festival,” she said.

Visitors will see sidewalks full of street vendors from all over the state selling downtown store items and arts and crafts.

Kathy Hill, executive director of Art Reach of Mid Michigan said the “Chalk It” exhibition brings professional artists to paint the sidewalk with chalk and that passers-by would see the images come to life throughout the weekend.

The featured artist is Lee Jones from Orlando, Fla.

“She’s doing a nine-foot painting on the side walk near the old Isabella Bank. It looks like a painting when she’s done,” Hill said.

It is a type of performance art, Hill said, because people can watch her finish the painting during the event.

Friday features “Dancin’ in the Streets,” with ballroom dancing lessons will be from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and open dancing from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“They are teaching swing, waltz, quick step, and rumba, some more contemporary, some more of the era,” said Amy Perschbacher, owner of Vision Studio of Performing Arts, 131 E. Broadway Road.

There will be two dance instructors and the event is free.

Children will not left out of the festival and will be able to participate in arts and crafts.

“(The children) are going to make something and be able to take it home with them,” Sponseller said.

Public Works is bringing in a bulldozer and dump truck for kids to play with.

In addition, Sponseller said downtown restaurants would be catering to the event and there will be a beer tent at the Blues Festival.

news@cm-life.com