March 19, 2024

Marshalltown gears up for Linn Creek Arts Festival

MARSHALLTOWN — Among the many art festivals that take place throughout the Midwest in summer, the annual Linn Creek Arts Festival in Marshalltown stands out due to its location, quality and venue. It’s an artful experience through and through.

The one-day event takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 18 on the grounds of Fisher Community Center. An easy drive in central Iowa, Marshalltown connects highways 30 and 14. Upon arrival, visitors can enjoy easy parking at two nearby lots and free shuttle service to the festival.

A focal point of the festival grounds is a Christian Peterson sculpture and fountain in a reflecting pond. Trees provide shade for many of the artists’ tent sites, and strolling minstrels from guitarists to a harpist add to the ambiance.

Fisher Community Center houses the Central Iowa Art Association, whose members coordinate indoor and outdoor activities for youth during the art festival. Kids can enjoy painting the shell of an old vehicle and “parent-free” hands-on art projects. Also geared toward young people is the Junior Art Lovers’ Gallery, another parent-free activity designed to connect youth with original art.

The 2015 theme of the Linn Creek Arts Festival is “It’s all About the Arts,” and organizers are diligent about connecting artists to art-buying visitors. Rather than simply strolling past each artist’s tent, the prevailing mood is “come on in.”

A maximum of 60 fine artists are juried into the event, with a careful balance of mediums and price points. From acrylics, 3-D sculpture from segmented wood, photography and jewelry featuring repurposed items, variety is key among the exhibitors.

The Linn Creek Art Festival is easily a day-long experience. Between meeting the artists, visitors can relax in the picnic tent, enjoy a variety of foods, visit the beverage garden and be entertained by on-stage entertainers. An interesting sojourn through Arts Alliance booths will give everyone a chance to win one of several $75 “Festival Dollars” and a $5 raffle ticket might lead to winning an original textile wall-hanging.

The event is coordinated by the Marshalltown Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Marshall County Arts and Culture Alliance.

For more information, contact Val Ruff, director of the Arts Alliance, at 641-752-2787.