Chalk Festival: Art on the Street, Literally!

By Diane M. Loeffler

Florida loves to throw a party. There are festivals and expos somewhere in central Florida nearly every weekend. The Chalk Festival may well be one of the most visually pleasing of all them. This year’s Chalk Festival theme was “The Chalk of the Town.” The event is usually held in Venice, but this year it was on the streets of Sarasota.

Getting there was an easy drive by car, but you could also hop on the bus provided by Glory Tours and let them drop you off right at one of the entrances.

Artists sat on the pavement and completed their masterpieces under a bright, Florida sun. Signs listed their names and the state or country from which they came. Some artists came from as far away as Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Lines crept past the works of art. Some onlookers asked the artists about their creations. A handful of the chalk drawings needed to be viewed from a specific place to see the 3D effect. A few artists set up lenses mounted so that observers could get the full effect.

If you would like to visit the Chalk Festival next year, you may wish to check their website, “chalkfestival.org”, or check the schedules provided by the local travel groups to see if they will have a bus going there. The two local bus options are Glory Tours, Kings Point North Clubhouse, and Sun City Travel Club, Community Hall, 1910 South Pebble Beach Road.