Good news for the arts — Main Street Morgantown’s Arts Walk program is expanding downtown.
New funding from state and local sources will place four Arts Walks on this year’s calendar with expanded entertainment offerings through November.
“Downtown comes alive with the Arts,” said Mark Downs, MSM board president. “The expanded program promotes interaction through live demonstrations, performing arts and live music in the heart of our arts and cultural district.”
The Arts Walk program attracts significant foot traffic downtown, drawing people of all ages across the city and state. Begun in 2003 as an annual street bazaar, Arts Walk became a recurring opportunity to spotlight artists and support local downtown businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The expanded fall series will be led by Arts Walk coordinator and local artist Eli Pollard, contributing to a vibrant events calendar of more than 40 downtown events in conjunction with Main Street Morgantown’s 40th anniversary celebration. While strolling the district, Arts Walks provide an opportunity to meet and support artists and creative entrepreneurs and shop locally with the downtown merchants who host them.
“We are delighted to see the support for the Arts Walks this year,” Emily Muzzarelli, assistant city manager, said. “Paired with great restaurants, shops and the new PODA outdoor beverage district, events like these give the public more ways to enjoy the downtown area.”
The August Arts Walk is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday in Downtown Morgantown. Featured entertainment includes live Bluegrass by Dem Donkey Boys and funk band Power Forward. Additionally, the public can meet many artisans and makers, see handmade goods and creative arts demonstrations and enjoy food trucks.
This FY24 Community Arts project is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Fall Arts Walks are made possible by the Morgantown Event Advancement Fund, courtesy of the City of Morgantown and the Visit Mountaineer Country Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For updates on featured artists and their locations, follow @mainstreetmorgantown on Facebook and Instagram.
Main Street Morgantown is a nonprofit (501c3) organization. Its mission is to develop and promote vibrant and prosperous Downtown and Wharf Districts. It is an affiliate organization of the Morgantown Area Partnership — a coordinated alliance to pursue holistic strategies for the betterment of economic, business and community development.
