Boulder City’s Art in the Park ready for 62nd year

It’s arguably Boulder City’s biggest event of the year, drawing tens of thousands of people to town and has been doing so for more than 60 years.

The annual Art in the Park, sponsored by the Boulder City Hospital Foundation (BCHF), is set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4 in Wilbur Square, Bicentennial Park, North Escalante Park, and South Escalante Park, as well as sections of Arizona Street and Colorado Street.

“Things are coming along great,” said Leslie Woodbury, director of the BCHF. “We’re deep into final logistics right now — banners are up around town, security and city permits are squared away, and we’re finishing up booth layouts, judging, and volunteer schedules.”

Woodbury said Art in the Park is a “massive” undertaking as they coordinate vendors, road closures, restrooms, security, vendor logistics, judging, sponsorships, parking, and hundreds of volunteers across four city parks.

“It’s a year-long process, but we really ramp it up in March,” she said. “Beginning on Monday you will see us selling T-shirts with our featured artist on the back, and raffle tickets. The raffle prizes come from the artists who participate at Art in the Park. They each donate an item of value from their booth at the festival to help raise funds for the hospital.”

They begin drawing winners on that Saturday. Raffle tickets are $3 each.

But as with anything, repetition has made things a bit easier each year when planning such a large event. Woodbury said one way that’s helped is by putting the event on a platform called Eventeny, which helps them manage vendor information and communicate with them.

“I think it’s given us more exposure in the art world and helped bring in new artists,” she said. “We’ve also got street banners hanging around town and shows how much our town values Art in the Park, which Sara Denton and the Pink Ladies began 62 years ago at Wilbur Park to help support our local hospital.”

More than 80 new artists are joining the event this year, which is in addition to dozens of returnees, offering a wide array of artistic mediums. This includes painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, glass, jewelry and much more.

“The quality of fine art and fine crafts coming in this year is honestly mind-blowing,” Woodbury said. “I think people keep coming back because it’s free, it’s family-friendly, and its genuinely high-quality art in a beautiful outdoor setting.

“People love being able to grab some food, walk around the park, and take in beautiful art all in one place. Our parks are so beautiful with green grass and mature trees, and it’s just the perfect time of year — the beginning of fall in the desert. Even on a hot day, there’s something different in the air; everyone’s getting excited for a change of season and looking forward to the holidays. It’s also become a beloved Boulder City tradition — this is our 62nd year.”

This year, the entertainment and announcing stage will be moved from the traditional gazebo in Bicentennial Park to a temporary one on Colorado Street. There will be live entertainment from both the Boulder City High School and Garrett Junior High choirs, plus bands like Whiskey Brotherhood, Sanford &Son, The Lenors, Betty and the Liars, 215 to Sunset, Stuck in Reverse, and others. There will also be several food trucks, also on Colorado Street.

Their featured artist this year is Chuck Watkins, who won featured artist honors at last year’s show, and whose piece “Larry’s Bathhouse” is showcased across this year’s event materials.

Woodbury said she wished to thank the dozens of sponsors of Art in the Park as well as the backbone of any large community event, its volunteers.

“It absolutely takes a village — our board and over 200 volunteers are the heart of this event,” she said. “Our volunteers cover everything from judging, artist check-in and check-out, and booth setup to the beer booth, raffle ticket sales and distribution, and park cleanup — we simply couldn’t put this on without their time and heart every single year. Many of our best volunteers work at the hospital, which is special.”

She wanted to also thank her fellow board members: Dr. Cynthia Anderson, Dr. Barbara Murphey Framke, Sue Manteris, Michael Giroux, and Scott Hinson.

“I can’t thank them enough for their support,” Woodbury said.

She also praised their year-round volunteers, who include Maureen Avery, Sandra Fraser, Carla Morgan, and Erin Bruninga.

All proceeds from sponsorships and on-site sales at Art in the Park benefit Boulder City Hospital Foundation, which supports the Boulder City Hospital.