The Austin Area Commission for the Arts is in the final stages of planning the fifth Annual Austin ArtWorks Festival.

There will be a full week of activities leading up to the capstone event, all happening in an effort to celebrate the amazing creativity happening in our community. This year the week will start with Matchbox Children’s Theatre’s production of Fairy Free For-All and Pyramus & Thisbe, which will run at the Historic Paramount Theatre on Friday, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 21.

Tickets can be purchased online at austinareaarts.org or at the Austin ArtWorks Center. Also on Sunday, Aug. 21, Riverland Community College’s Theatre Department will be presenting their annual Alumni and Friends’ performance to raise much needed funding for the theatre program. The show is still being determined, but the performance will be at 2 p.m. that evening with a reception to follow at Dusty’s Bar and Lounge. On Monday, Aug. 22, we will be hosting our first adults-only coloring night at the Austin ArtWorks Center. The event is free and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. All coloring supplies will be provided. The Hormel Historic Home will be hosting Tuesday night’s event with a free performance by Sena Ehrhardt at 7 p.m. in the Garden. We have invited Bret Helsa and the Minnesota Community Sings project back to Austin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Veteran’s Pavilion. It will be a free opportunity for the community to gather and share in singing. Music sheets will be provided, but we encourage everyone to bring their own seating. A free gallery opening for local favorite artist James Wegner will be held at the Austin ArtWorks Center from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25. It will be the first time James has had a solo show at the Center since its opening in 2014. Then on Friday, Aug. 26, there will be an alley concert behind Dusty’s Bar and Lounge at 8 p.m. The weekend will bring the ArtWorks Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, with the Dick Schindler Celebration Concert at the Historic Paramount Theatre starting at 7 p.m. There will also be lots of activities throughout downtown Austin during the day, including the Spare Arts Bike Show.

The festival will conclude from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28. Check out our website, austinareaarts.org for more information about all the events happening that week.