New Additions Bring Fun and Inspiration to All Ages at The Woodlands Waterway Arts FestivalGet ready to paint and color the town at The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival (top photo) with new and exciting additions including entertainment atWaterway Square and more. The festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11, 2010, from 10 am – 6 pm on the banks of The Woodlands Waterway®, Town Green Park and Waterway Square.

New to the 2010 festival are free activities as well as unique art and live entertainment at Waterway Square on Saturday from 2:00 – 8:30 pm and Sunday 2 – 6 pm. One of the highlights of this new venue is sidewalk art featuring eight highly-skilled artists from the Houston area who will create masterpieces on the sidewalks at Waterway Square using pastels. Adding to the festival ambiance, this area also features face painting, beverages, food by Hubbell & Hudson, and live music and entertainment. The best of show award takes place on the Waterway Square stage Saturday at 7:30 pm, followed by a performance by Aqua Drums.

Artopoly (bottom photo), another unique feature of the festival, is a hands-on, interactive workshop that encourages children and their families to discover artists, materials and techniques. This year, Artopoly features a variety of projects for kids of all ages. Artopoly also features artist demonstrations, including a Live Equine Painting Demo by Lesley Humphrey, portrait and still life painting groups, basket weaving, ceramics and jewelry making. Adults can sit down with instructors and create their own 16” x 20” painting featuring one of The Woodlands’ sculptures, “On the Shoulders of Giants.”

A unique aspect of Artopoly is the creation of a permanent piece of art that festival-goers can participate in. This year, the piece is a sculpture that will be presented to the Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch. The ranch will bring out some of its horses to the festival.

The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is a juried fine art show featuring 200 national and regional artists in 14 mediums selling their original creations. Admission is $10 for adults. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Two-day tickets are $15. Free trolley service and $2 water taxi rides are available during the festival. Proceeds from the festival benefit local charity partners including The Pavilion Partners, The Woodlands Art League and The Woodlands Children’s Museum.

For more information about The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, visit www.woodlandsartsfestival.com.