This weekend artists and art lovers alike will be out en mass as organizations from throughout the county gather for the first ever YMCA Family Festival of the Arts.

The event, which takes place Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 from 12 to 7 p.m., will feature a host of theatre, dance and music performances, food, exhibit booths, children’s activities and a student art show and best of all, admission is free. Sponsored primarily by the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts of Fayette County, it is the first art festival open to all non-profit arts organizations in Fayette County in one place and at one time.

“Previous events have been held to showcase one organization or art medium. Our intent is to bring all the arts groups together and demonstrate how large and diverse the Fayette County arts organizations are,” said Andre De Lorenzo, Chairman of the festival. “In 2007, we expect the festival to double in size with a larger representation of area artists, musicians and musical groups,” he added.

Other sponsors for the weekend’s festivities include arts&expression Magazine, FayetteFaces.com and Kwik Kopy in Peachtree City.

Proceeds from the event will support the YMCA Partner with Youth Scholarships and other YMCA activities.

The Peachtree City Rotary Club is the sponsor for the Student Art Show. The show will have $300 in cash prizes as well as the Viewer’s Choice Award. Spectators will have a chance to pick their favorite artist by donating money to the artist and the Partner With Youth scholarship campaign. Any student wanting to enter the show may bring their art work to the YMCA on Friday, April 21 between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., or they may enter on Saturday up until 12 p.m.

Exhibit booths will offer those in attendance an opportunity to get to know more about various arts organizations in Fayette County. Attendees can meet with members, discuss their organization and learn how to become involved. Groups that will have a booth at the YMCA Family Festival of the Arts include the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts of Fayette County, arts&expression Magazine, FayetteFaces.com, the YMCA, Fayette Players and Community Theatre, the Georgia Mountain Dulcimer Group, the Peachtree Wind Ensemble, Offshoot Productions, the Peachtree City School of Dance, Fayette Coweta Family Theatre, the Counterpane School, Fayette Arts Center and Massive Burn Studios.

Children’s activities will include a moon walk, canoe rides, festival games with prizes, face painting, sand art, archery as well as the play park.

Concessions will be available on both days, offering food and beverages plus all the great festival snacks kids love.

Saturday’s schedule features a wide selection of performances which will take place in the Pavilion and are free to all in attendance. The morning will kick off at 10 a.m. with the Men of the Mill performing vocal selections. At 11 a.m. Fayette Coweta Family Theatre will perform scenes from their new production, “Disney’s 101 Dalmatians” followed by scenes from Offshoot Productions’ “The Frog Prince” at noon. Moving from theatre to dance, audiences will be treated to performances from the Evolving Pointe Ensemble of Dance Contempra at 1 p.m. and the Peachtree City Civic Ballet Company of the Peachtree City School of Dance at 2 p.m. For music lovers, the Peachtree Wind Ensemble Orchestra will perform at 3 p.m. and Music Alive, Peachtree City’s official ambassadors of song, will perform at 4 p.m. The Counterpane School student performers are scheduled to take the stage at 5 p.m. For those arriving late, Fayette Coweta Family Theatre will reprise their early performance of “Disney’s 101 Dalmatians” at 6 p.m. Those in attendance who are looking for a full-length performance will want to check out the Fayette Players and Community Theatre presentation of Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple” in the Lodge at the YMCA. This performance requires a ticket which can be purchased for $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students and $8 for groups of 10 or more. To conclude Saturday’s full day of entertainment and arts, from 9:30 to 11 p.m. audiences will enjoy dancing under the stars to the live music of Genre.

Sunday, festival booths will open at 12 p.m. with entertainment beginning at 1 p.m. when the the Peachtree City School of Dance Civic Ballet will perform. The Fayette Players and Community Theatre will host their second performance of “The Odd Couple” at 2:30 p.m. in the Lodge with prices from Saturday remaining unchanged. Free entertainment will continue in the YMCA Pavilion at 4 p.m. with a performance by the Southern Nights Chorale Adult Choral Group and will conclude with a performance by the Peach Pickers Georgia Mountain Dulcimer Group at 5 p.m.

The YMCA Family Festival of the Arts will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 7 p.m. and will be held at the Fayette Family YMCA at 215 Huiet Road in Fayetteville off of Ga. Highway 54. For additional information contact the YMCA at 770-719-9622.

This weekend is your first chance to be involved in what organizers plan to become an annual event to celebrate the arts in Fayette County.

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