96°F
weather icon Clear

Parks take on art gallery feel for two-day fest

For two days, Bicentennial, Escalante and Wilbur Square parks will be transformed into an art gallery as Boulder City Hospital Foundation presents Art in the Park.

The 52nd annual event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and feature 313 fine artists and craft vendors from primarily the Southwestern United States.

“There is a genre for every taste,” said Tom Maher, CEO of Boulder City Hospital. “There are a lot of very creative people in Clark County and they have the ability to produce work to satisfy the taste and decor of the most discriminating artists, art connoisseur or designers.”

The juried art show typically attracts around 100,000 people. Maher said many professional interior designers attend the show and purchase art for their clients or their own homes.

First-, second- and third-place awards are presented in the fine art, fine craft and traditional craft categories, as well as an overall Best in Show winner.

“We try to recognize as many worthy artists as possible,” he said.

“I call it the greatest show on Earth,” said Michael Dechape, who, along with his wife, Brenda, makes organic bath and body products from scratch.

Dechape said Art in the Park is the only show their company, Aravah Organics, participates in.

“We have always been blessed to sell out our products. People stand in line for it,” he said, noting that his sales have doubled since they first participated in the show four years ago.

He said the atmosphere in the park, the people who come and the people who organize the event combine to make it special.

Dechape said their company, which embeds wildflower seeds into its soap wrappers, won a first-place award in the contemporary crafts category two years ago and came in second place last year.

On average, the two-day festival raises about $165,000 for the hospital, Maher said. “In the past it has ranged from a low of $140,000 to a high of $210,000. It’s a very valuable event for the hospital,” he said.

Maher said the money goes into the hospital’s general account and will be used to help with the loan it received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Part of the conditions of our loan was we would achieve and maintain a certain level of cash reserves. The money we make gets us to that point,” he said. “We need to keep making money through events like Art in the Park and private donations to achieve the conditions of the loan.”

He said the hospital doesn’t receive any money from the artists selling their wares, except for the initial booth rental fee.

Its proceeds come from operating the park and ride service and the sales of hospital-related apparel, frozen treats and beer and wine.

“Yours truly will be mixing bloody marys as I do every year,” Maher said.

The festival will feature more than 25 food and beverage vendors. One of the highlights of the show is a raffle, with each artist contributing an item. Also, the raffle features prizes donated by local businesses and Chamber of Commerce members.

In all, prizes worth more than $25,000 will be awarded. The festivities also include live music and activities for children. To help alleviate congestion in the downtown area surrounding the parks, the hospital offers parking and a shuttle service from the outlying area.

There is a $10 fee per vehicle.

Admission to Art in the Park is free. For more information, call 702-293-0214.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
BCHS going strong at 85

The 2025–26 school year is off to a fantastic start at Boulder City High School.

Falls at home place seniors at significant risk

We may crack up watching slip and fall accidents on TikTok or “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, but in real life, especially for seniors, it’s no laughing matter.

Wine Walk returns with new lineup of themes

September kicks off the busiest time of the year in terms of community events in Boulder City.

Local schools welcome new staff faces

Author John Steinbeck once wrote, “I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.”

Who’s supposed to weed out the weeds?

“In the weeds” is a phrase used in the restaurant industry to describe when the front and/or back of the house becomes overwhelmed with orders, creating kitchen chaos.

Howdy, partner! Western Inn Motel has new owners

For nearly 90 years, the Western Inn Motel has served as a temporary place for residents as well as travelers on their way to Hoover Dam, Las Vegas and beyond.

Healthy aging at any age

Healthy aging is the process of maintaining good physical, mental, and social health and well-being as we grow older. It is not just for older adults. It starts at any age. There are key areas of health that can help you stay strong and healthy throughout your life.

When household products overpromise and actually deliver

Every now and again you come across a product that makes you stand back and say, “Wow, that worked way better than I thought it would!” These gleeful moments come as a welcome surprise when we’re often disappointed by products that overpromise and under-deliver. When I find these little gems, I store them away in my mental DIY toolbox. This past month, I was happy to add a few more “must have” products that exceeded my expectations.

Summer is a time to be safe

It’s a safe bet that the one thing we all have in common every summer is managing the extreme heat and our body’s reaction to the excessive temperature prevalent in our geographic location.

Free fishing fun

Logan Davis, along with his kids Winter and Maverick, tried their best to catch a fish Saturday, along with all the many others who enjoyed the city’s free fishing day at the pond at Veterans Memorial Park.