Eyes will be on the sky for the opening of the annual festival as the weather forecast is calling for some showers each afternoon during its run. Rain or shine, Kimball Arts Center Director Aldy Milliken is excited about the lineup.
“We've got, of course, artists all over the country that are featuring their best work,” Milliken said. “We've got 185 unique artists, 10 emerging artists, we've got 14 local artists, which represents about 7% of the entire fair. And then we've got first-time artists, 54. So, there's a lot of new artists and new work to see. You know, that's something that we heard from our audiences last year is that we really want more new work to enjoy.”
The festival opens Friday night with Locals Night from 5 to 9 p.m. It will continue Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 to 6.
The impacts to Old Town start early Wednesday; the Bob Wells and Brew Pub parking lots will close at 6 a.m. Main Street, Heber Avenue, Swede Alley, and the remaining parking lots along Swede Alley will close Friday morning at 3 a.m. and remain closed through late Sunday night.
Art Center spokesperson Meisha Lawson says locals and all Summit County property owners will need to register online in advance to get in free on Friday.
“We do request that you bring a driver's license or a utility bill to the entrance gates on Friday,” Lawson said. “But you can register you must register in advance, you will not be able to get a locals night ticket at the gates, you will be able to pay, or you will be able to go online but you must do it online at Kimball arts festival.org. And yep, it's free. If you are not a resident, or a second homeowner, you can buy tickets, they are only $10 a day. So, it's definitely affordable. It's $5 for kids ages seven to I believe 17. And those are all online at Kimball arts festival.org.”
Parking is very limited in the Old Town area. Free parking and transit is available at the Ecker Hill Park and Ride, the Park City school lots on Kearns Blvd. and Park City Mountain resort. Because Deer Valley is hosting concerts on Friday and Saturday night, there is no parking on Friday and limited parking between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Drop and load and taxi staging will be in the City Hall parking lot on South Marsac Ave. Only businesses and residents with private off-street parking on Park Avenue or Swede Alley will receive access passes to get through. To get real time transportation information, text PCEVENTS to 888777.
In addition to the art, the Kimball has partnered with Mountain Town Music with two outdoor stages - one at Heber Ave and the other at the top of Main Street. Find the the link to the music schedule in the web version of this story.
It takes hundreds of volunteers to pull off the three-day festival. There are some 700 jobs to do, requiring between 200 and 300 volunteers. And organizers say they can always use more hands.
“You get a t shirt, you get a weekend access pass to the festival,” Lawson said. “You get a complimentary individual Kimball Art Center membership after 12 hours. There's a lovely volunteer lounge with snacks and drinks so there's a lot. You know, you get a kind of a behind-the-scenes look at how you produce one of Park City largest events.”
For more information, go to kimballartsfestival.org
