The streets of downtown Palo Alto will teem with art enthusiasts and revelers this weekend for the 32nd annual Palo Alto Festival of the Arts.
Nearly 150,000 people have come to the downtown area annually to see the work of 300 artists and crafters whose display booths have lined University Avenue. As in the past, this year there will also be food, live music, drinks and a Kid’s Art Studio.
Because of a new city ordinance banning the use of plastic and paper bags for carrying merchandise, the Chamber of Commerce, which is co-sponsoring the event with the City of Palo Alto, highly recommends that festival attendees bring their own re-usable tote bags to carry their purchases.
Traffic closures in the area will mirror those that occurred last year, according to Palo Alto police. Starting at 2 a.m., University Avenue will be closed from High Street to Webster Street to make room for the festival, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25.
Tasso Street will be closed at Lytton Avenue from 2 a.m. on Saturday to 11 p.m. on Sunday for the ever-popular Italian street painting expo, which is sponsored by the Weekly.
Emerson and Cowper streets will be opened overnight Saturday for through traffic. All roads will re-open at about 11 p.m. Sunday.
It may be easier to take public transportation to the festival, and the event’s organizers have issued the following recommendations:
• To avoid traffic and sparse parking during events, festival-goers should plan to use alternate or public transportation. Organizers suggest using 511.org to plan their routes.
• Pet owners should not bring their animals to the festival as large crowds can make pets anxious and sometimes aggressive.
Read about some of the artists whose work will be on display this weekend:
• Behind the scenes: More than 300 artists prepare for Palo Alto’s annual Festival of the Arts