**CHALKFEST CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE FLORENCE.

Public Art Reston, in partnership with Reston Town Center, returns September 15 with its fifth annual chalk festival, ChalkFest at Reston Town Center. Artists of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. Categories include: Families & Kids, Amateur Artists, and Professional Artists. Prizes will be awarded in each category as well an Audience Choice Award.

Professional Artists are invited to start their drawings on Friday, September 14, beginning at 12 p.m. Saturday, September 15’s community-building event will take place along Market Street in Reston Town Center in front of the Pavilion from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will be open to all categories.

“It is a pleasure and a challenge to participate in Reston’s ChalkFest. The pleasure is sharing ‘chalk camaraderie’ with other artists, young and old,” says Phil Erickson, a professional artist and repeat participant in the festival. “The challenge is to compete with the professionals, who bring tremendous skill and vision. But the amateurs and families, who bring amazing energy and ideas, are truly inspiring.  And, for a couple days, we are all united, creating art with the earth as our canvas.  A hot summer day filled with laughter, chalk dust and crazy fun images at Reston Town Center, I can’t think of anything better.”

Judging will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and winners will be announced at around 5 p.m. There also will be music acts from Bach to Rock Herndon at the Pavilion.

Last year’s ChalkFest at Reston Town Center drew its highest attendance yet, selling out and welcoming more than 6,000 attendees of all ages from all across the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.  Winners from last year’s event can be found on Public Art Reston’s Facebook page.

“ChalkFest at Reston Town Center is one of our most anticipated annual events. Art is created in real time for everyone’s enjoyment,” says Anne Delaney, executive director of Public Art Reston. “We are looking forward to hosting it for a fifth year and cannot wait to see what our talented local artists create!”

Sponsorship opportunities are available for this event at a variety of levels, for more information, contact info@publicartreston.org. Funds raised at ChalkFest at Reston Town Center help support future public art projects and programs.

Public Art Reston was founded in 2007 by Reston civic and community organizations and leaders. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that imagines public art throughout Reston that inspires the community and engages the mind and senses. For more information about Public Art Reston, visit www.publicartreston.org

All photos credit: Sammy Monaghan