The 12th annual River City Roots Festival takes place in Downtown Missoula August 25-26, and the Art Show will be the largest ever with 34 art booths on Main Street. Thirty (30) of the artists are from Montana, and most of them are from the Western part of the state.
The Roots Fest Art Show will start at 11 am on Friday, Aug. 25 and will be located on the 100 block of West Main Street in Downtown Missoula. The Art Show will run from 11 am-7 pm both Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26, and all art will be available for sale.
The 2017 show will highlight a mix of painters, jewelers, woodworkers, photographers, metal workers, ceramicists, textile artists and mixed media. This year’s show features 18 newcomers and 16 returning artists, some who have been with the show for more than 10 years. In addition, the Clay Studio of Missoula will provide opportunities to throw clay on the pottery wheel at their booth.
“The Roots Fest Art Show has become an attractive opportunity for Montana and regional artists to showcase beautiful and creative artwork,” said Ellen Buchanan, Festival Chair and Director of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency. “We have seen some fantastic artwork and met incredibly creative people at the Roots Fest Art Show. This year will be the largest and most diverse art show we’ve had to date, and the offerings are really cool.”
Roots Fest is the Signature Celebration of Missoula, a community that is rich in arts, culture, live music, healthy living, local food and beverages, and family fun. In its 12th year, Roots Fest remains admission free for all, thanks to the generosity of 50 Missoula-area businesses who sponsor the event. Major sponsors include the Missoulian, Missoula Broadcasting, Big Sky Brewing Company, Bob Ward’s & Sons, First Interstate Bank, Gecko Designs and Destination Missoula, the official Convention & Visitors’ Bureau.
In addition to the Art Show, Roots Fest consists of Music on Main, featuring headliners John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band Friday night and Anders Osborne on Saturday night, as well as 11 other bands. Other features of Roots Fest include the Four-Mile Run Saturday morning at 8:30 am, along with the Family Fun Fest in Caras Park and the Food Court and Street Bars on Ryman both Friday and Sunday.
