Music, food and more at Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival

April 8,2015

Main St (2)

Prepare to eat funnel cake, listen to music and do the festival shuffle while ogling the work of 215 artists: Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, celebrating its 30th year, gets underway Thursday.

The downtown festival, which annually draws thousands, will have more local music than previous years as well as a free symphony concert at Bass Performance Hall.

Organizers and sponsors are adding two stages this year — the Frost Locals Only Stage and the Fort Worth Songwriters Association Stage — for a total of five, said spokeswoman Claire Bloxom Armstrong. Texas artists including Waylon Pierce will perform on Locals Only, while Fort Worth-based singer/songwriters such as Michael Mayes will take the Songwriters Association stage.

They join a lineup that includes headliners Green River Ordinance (8:30 p.m. Thursday), Atlanta Rhythm Section (7 p.m. Saturday) and the Georgia Satellites (9 p.m. Saturday). Brave Combo fans can hear their favorite band at 7 p.m. Friday. For music lovers who prefer a different genre and setting altogether, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra plays at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bass Performance Hall.

As usual, the festival will have booths set up by more than 200 artists, and Bloxom Armstrong said they expect to sell more than $4.6 million worth of art.

IF YOU GO
The Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival is Thursday through Sunday on Main Street in downtown Fort Worth.

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Artists’ booths close at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: Free. Food and beverages require coupons.

Getting there: Parking is available throughout downtown (www.fortworthparking.com). To avoid downtown traffic, ride the Trinity Railway Express (www.trinityrailwayexpress.org) which will have extended service through Sunday. (Park-and-ride bus service is available from Billy Bob's Texas in the Stockyards and Farrington Field west of downtown, 5-11 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $3.50 round trip.

Do: Bring a water bottle, which can be refilled at one of seven water stations. Because there’s a 30 to 40 percent chance of rain through Sunday, an umbrella might come in handy.

Don’t: Bring your pets. They are not permitted.

Information: Find maps, booth locations and entertainment schedules at http://www.mainstreetartsfest.org/