BANGOR, Maine — In just a few days, the work of local artists will be showcased on Harlow Street in Downtown Bangor.
"I want this festival to be a message of, 'Hey, we're here and we want to continue to bloom and blossom and carry forth our art and make Bangor, Maine the artist hub of the state,'" local artist Hope Eye said.
Downtown Bangor's annual ARTober Fall Sidewalk Art Festival will feature dozens of Maine-based artists, vendors, food, and live music.
"Taking any opportunity we can to uplift each other and help one another and create those spaces is of the utmost importance if we want art to flourish in our community," local artist Sam Bullard said.
They say the festival is a way to highlight and support the art and culture that lives in Bangor all year long.
"It's great to get people from all different communities in the area to come to downtown and see the artists that live and work in the area and let them highlight their work," local artist Francesca DeSanctis said.
On a normal day, many of the works of these artists are showcased inside businesses and organizations. They hope the festival not only highlights their work but also brings attention to the faces behind the art.
"It's a great way to kind of sample what is that aspect of that creativity, and then to be directly on the streets and to be directly relationship building, it just compliments," Cara Oleksyk, owner of Red Rabbit Bazaar in downtown Bangor, said.
For Betsy Lundy, the organizer of the event and executive director of the Downtown Bangor Partnership, she hopes the event will do exactly that.
"I want people to be excited and maybe even a little bit surprised by the sheer volume of the amazing artists we have here in the city of Bangor and I want them to feel like they are a part of the art community,” Lundy said.
The festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5 from a 9 a.m to 4 p.m. The event is open to the public with free admission.