Boyne City SOBO Arts Festival Set For June 24 and 25

The 7th annual Boyne City SOBO Arts Festival will be an interactive art extravaganza on June 24 and 25, from noon to 6 p.m. in Sunset Park. Committee co-chair Becky Harris commented, “In the spirit of encompassing all arts, this family-friendly interactive art festival is about creating an experience through art. Stations will invite guests to interact in a variety of art forms in an engaging, entertaining and collaborative way.”

The event will kick off Friday night during Stroll the Streets with the celebration and installation of 9 new sculptures in the second year of the Walkabout Sculpture Tour. In all, there will be 12 sculptures in the tour, scattered about town and ready for enjoying.

Saturday events include a Plein Air Paint-Out Competition taking place throughout town from 8 am to 3 pm. Come and see artists, inspired by the beauty of historic Boyne City and Lake Charlevoix, create beautiful work. Artists arrive with a blank canvas and will create a one of a kind piece that will be available for viewing and purchase at the artists’ reception and exhibition taking place at 5 p.m. where the winners will be announced and cash prizes awarded.

New to this year’s festival is the Sidewalk Chalk-Out Competition. Artists will create chalk art on the sidewalk surrounding Sunset Park. Artists of all ages and abilities – from the beginner to experienced chalk artist - are welcome to be a part of this contest which runs from noon to 4 pm, with winners announced at the 5 pm reception.

Pre-registration is required. To get complete set of rules, go to www.soboartsfestival.com, call Becky Harris at 231-330-2704 or email mainstreet@boynecity.com. Please send the $10 fee to SOBO Arts Festival, 319 N. Lake Street, Boyne City, MI 49712 or pay when you arrive.

Family friendly activities include interactive stations that will be placed throughout Sunset Park where everyone can enjoy music, dancing, a puppet show, puppet-making workshops, a paint graffiti wall, a chalk wall, selfie photo opportunities, live statues, art vignettes, pottery making, gratitude stations, Salvador Dali and more. Bring the entire family for an afternoon of artistic, hands-on fun.

The festival is supported by major sponsors Lynda’s Real Estate Service, Charlevoix County Community Foundation, and Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau. For more information, go to www.soboartsfestival.com, or mainstreet@boynecity.com.