Kathy Dunham and Laura Theus scoop fresh kettle corn into bags. Dunham has been a regular at the festival for the past decade. (Photo by Kayla Ziadie)
Each year the Gainesville Downtown Festival and Arts Show brings hundreds of people to Gainesville.
The festival blanketed the area of East First Street and University Avenue last weekend with art-filled tents and local cuisine.
From the Hippodrome to City Hall, children, families and college students filled the streets while walking to the beat of live music provided by local musicians at the recently renovated Bo Diddley Plaza.
The Shambles, a local rock 'n' roll cover band performs at Bo Diddley Plaza for Gainesville's 35th annual Downtown Festival and Art Show. (Photo by Kayla Ziadie)
Scott Allen sits among the tie dye shirts he made at his Groovy Gator Tie Dye tent. Allen is the owner of Groovy Gator Tie Dye, a side job to his full-time job of teaching U.S. History at Buchholz High School. He had hundreds of tie dye shirts he makes by hand on racks to be sold.
Ira Burhans talks to Betsy Summers about one of his handmade stoneware pottery pieces. He has been making pottery for 37 years. (Photo by Kayla Ziadie)
Fresh ice cream is churned in a harness handmade by David Jones. This is his 20th year at the festival. (Photo by Kayla Ziadie)
Kathy Dunham and Laura Theus scoop fresh kettle corn into bags. Dunham has been a regular at the festival for the past decade. (Photo by Kayla Ziadie)
Rudy the donation dog and owner Brett Rice wander the Gainesville Downtown Festival and Arts Show Saturday meeting other dogs and raising funds for Gold Coast Greyhound Adoptions. The adoption center, which originated in Tampa, then opened in Gainesville, has rescued and placed over 5,000 dogs since its start. (Photo by Virginia Annable)
Lillian Van Hoosear draws with chalk at the Gainesville Downtown Festival and Arts Show Saturday. While others viewed the art, Lillian made her own children’s area in the middle of the road. (Photo by Virginia Annable)
Jay McIver hand blows a glass swizzle stick in his tent, as shoppers watch Saturday, at the Gainesville Downtown Festival and Arts Show. McIver, a local artist, has blown glass for over 30 years. (Photo by Virginia Annable)
This was Crystal Miner's first time at the festival, along with her 4-month-old daughter, Sonny Lynn, and two of her friends, Danielle DeSouza and Sharon Kemp.
Four-year-old Dylan makes a paper basket with Lenore at the Alachua County School Board tent, Saturday, after getting her face painted. The tent volunteers helped kids do crafts in the children’s area of the Gainesville Downtown Festival and Arts Show. (Photo by Virginia Annable)
High Springs Orchard and Bakery sells pastries such as spinach and cream cheese empanadas and vegan black bean empanadas at the 35th Annual Downtown Festival and Art Show. (Photo by Kayla Ziadie)
Jim Funke roams this year’s Fall Downtown Festival & Art Show Saturday, urging voters to vote “no” on amendment one, the solar energy amendment. “I want to sit here and yell “they’re stealing our sun!”,” Funke said. With election day around the corner, the festival brought politics into the art scene with signs and tents promoting various issues on the ballot. (Photo by Virginia Annable)
Lil Pyle feeds her pet goat cheese puffs Saturday at the Downtown Festival and Art Show. Among the many dogs in attendance, one animal that stood out: Baba the house goat. “My goat goes everywhere with me,” Pyle said, which includes restaurants, the beach, and even Lowe’s. (Photo by Virginia Annable)
An aerialist performs at the Gainesville Downtown Festival and Arts Show Saturday. The S-Connection Aerial Arts team performed regularly through the day as onlookers “ooh’d and ah’d.” (Photo by Virginia Annable)