Waukee’s seventh-annual Arts Festival starts at 5 p.m. on Friday in Centennial Park, featuring homegrown music, over 100 artists selling original handmade work, a beer garden and food.
The festival will feature Bulgogi from Sooks, wood oven-cooked pizza from Ferinheit Pizza, street tacos from Roadside Tacos, fresh hand-rolled Thai-inspired ice cream from Totally Rolled, and smoky meat from Cowboy Papa BBQ.
Artists will be competing for a chance at Best of Show with a prize of $500, second place for $300, and third place for $200, judged by seven jurors voting separately from different locations. Along with the art vendors will be a large Student Artists exhibit.
Featured artists include Ashley Fay Vance, Brooke Peterson , Karrie Daniels, and Monica Zunino to name a few plus many more.
Friday’s music will start with School of Rock at 6 p.m. and an uncanny Elton John/Billy Joel tribute from Elton and Billy at 7 p.m.
Saturday’s entertainment includes activities for the kids, and daytime music from Ky Groon, Tyler Frazier, Brittany Sword, Josh Sinclair, Luke Fox and Abigail Phelps. A featured performance from Decoy will end the two-day summer fest.
Saturday’s schedule
Kite Flyers – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Balloon Animals with Jonathan May – 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Magic Show with Jonathan May – 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Kite Building Kids Activity – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Des Moines Breakerz – 1:30 to 2 p.m.
Girls Rock! DSM – 5 to 6 p.m.
Artists’ Booths close at 6 p.m.
Katie and the Honky Tonks – 6 to 8 p.m.
Decoy – 8 to 10 p.m.
The Arts Festival will provide shuttles to and from parking areas, as well as water filling stations and booth-sitter services.
Centennial Park is located at 1255 Warrior Lane in Waukee.
Visit the Waukee Arts Festival website for more information, become a volunteer, or purchase a “I’m Waukee AF” T-shirt.
