From trapeze artists to Bo Diddley Plaza performances and good ‘ole barbeque, more than 40,000 guests attended the Downtown Festival & Art Show, “for and by Gainesville-based artists,” in its 44th year.
The festival, consistently ranked in the top 200 shows nationwide by Sunshine Artist magazine, was created in 1981 to celebrate local artistry. It has since expanded, with about 200 artists coming from across the country to fill downtown with booths of paintings, clothing, decorations, jewelry and more. Two judges spent Saturday scoring each artist booth based on factors such as originality, presentation and quality of work.
One of the busiest corners of the festival was the new “participation station,” an all-ages art-making space…