Fargo's Downtown Street Fair is undergoing a renaissance.
Yes, the annual downtown festival still offers yummy fair food from 40 booths. And display after display of goods will line Broadway from Thursday through Saturday.
But the focus will be more on art and less on the rest, said Stephanie Holland, membership and events coordinator for the Downtown Community Partnership, which organizes the annual event.
"That's what it was (originally)," she said. "That's what it's supposed to be, in my opinion."
To that end, the Kilbourne Group is sponsoring an Art on Broadway Challenge this year. Ten artists will create original pieces at the festival on Thursday and Friday.
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The completed projects will be available for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at 102 Broadway. The top three winners will be announced at noon.
The Kilbourne group is redeveloping three downtown properties and has a focus on history.
"Our thought is this could be an annual contest and the result of it is that we end up with a collection of art that's created during the street fair that can become part of the history of Fargo," said Kathryn Helgaas, marketing representative for the Kilbourne Group.
The work of another artist is displayed on advertisements and posters for the street fair.
Eric A. Johnson was named the 2008 Xcel Energy Prospectus winner for his "Moon over Monday."
"I think it will do quite a lot. It's a big event and it's always good to get my name out there," Johnson said.
Live performers will be out and about along with the visual artists.
Students from Trollwood Performing Arts School, Moorhead High School and Gooseberry Park Players will perform at the US Bank Plaza, Holland said.
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The Amazing Budabi Brothers, a comedy juggling act that includes knives and fire, will perform, and face painters will be on hand.
Holland said she has been working to prevent booth space from being rented by people buy goods elsewhere to re-sell at the fair, meaning the booths are for artists and craftspeople who want to sell their own work.
The street fair will have 212 artists and craftsmen offering their work from 350 booths, Holland said.
The hunt is on for $500. The Forum's second annual Treasure Token hunt will take place during the downtown Fargo Street Fair this week.
For details on how to participate, see Tuesday's Forum.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Andrea Domaskin at (701) 241-5556
