The Austin ArtWorks Festival—a two-day celebration of the visual, performing and literary arts—returns to the heart of Downtown Austin on Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019. Here’s what attendees need to know:

1. Thanks to donors and sponsors, the Austin ArtWorks Festival is free to attend. Fine art in 13 different media will be available for sale as well as refreshments from food trucks and neighborhood restaurants.

2. Star Wars fans won’t want to miss the exhibit by 2019 Featured Artist Rory Wakemup. His sculptures mix iconography from his Anishinabe heritage, a variety of Pan-American Indian regalia and the Star Wars universe. Visitors can meet the artist anytime during the event and attend his artist’s presentation at noon on Saturday, Aug. 24.

3. Don’t wait to purchase a ticket for Max Weinberg’s Jukebox at the Paramount Theatre at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24. Long-time drummer for Bruce Springsteen and bandleader for late-night comedian Conan O’Brien, Weinberg’s show is expected to sell out the 622-seat theatre. Tickets are available for $25 in advance at austinareaarts.org and $30 the day of the show.

4. Visitors will have six opportunities for hands-on art making, all free: a sidewalk chalk drawing contest, introduction to harmonica class, collaborative public fiber art project String Box Shanty, Brush the Beetle encouraging artists of all ages to add color to a VW Beetle, piñata making and various projects in the Family Arts tent.

5. The Authors’ Stage at Sweet Reads is bringing in 12 authors, including mystery writer William Kent Krueger and journalist and non-fiction author Curt Brown, who have appeared on the New York Times Bestsellers List.

6. Charlie Parr is closing out the two days of music on the KMSU Mankato Outdoor Stage. The Austin native will embark on a 17-city European tour after sharing his country-blues-roots-rock tunes.

7. Expect a high level of excellence from the 57 artists from seven states who are exhibiting and selling their work on the festival grounds. Each artist was invited after review by a jury of four professional artists.

8. More art is for sale at the Austin ArtWorks Center, where over 100 artists sell their work year-round. The air-conditioned Center is a great place to take a break from the festival and discover the work of two Trunk Show Artists, Ann Madland and Lisa Truax.

9. Hundreds of volunteers make the Austin ArtWorks Festival happen. With only 2-hour shifts, a volunteer has plenty of time to explore the festival after receiving a free t-shirt.

10. Details on all this information and more is available online at austinareaarts.org.

The Austin ArtWorks Festival is a program of Austin Area Arts, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to harness the power of the arts to improve lives and the community. The Austin ArtWorks Festival was founded by a group of dedicated volunteers in 2012 and is led by co-chairs Bonnie Rietz and Mary Anne Wolesky. The Austin ArtWorks Festival is funded by Mayo Clinic Health System-Albert Lea and Austin, KMSU Radio/Minnesota State University, Mankato, the City of Austin, Austin Utilities and individual donors.

For more information, contact Bonnie Rietz, at bonnie_rietz@hotmail.com or Mary Anne Wolesky at magw@charter.net.