With 85 artists, 9 food trucks, 2 stages, the Octagon Art Festival is Sunday in downtown Ames

Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune
·3 min read
Art festivalgoers browse at a ceramics booth in 2022. The 52nd Octagon Art Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ames.
Art festivalgoers browse at a ceramics booth in 2022. The 52nd Octagon Art Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ames.

Thousands of art enthusiasts will gather downtown Ames from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday as the Octagon Center for the Arts holds its 52nd art festival.

The free, family-friendly event features artists in various mediums, from jewelry and paintings to ceramics and glass.

“There will be plenty for art enthusiasts of all ages to experience in downtown Ames on Sunday,” Octagon director Heather Johnson said in a news release.

(from right) Haley Cook from Ames, Aleyna Follett, Amelia Bertness, and one-year-old Gwendolyn Bertness browse ornaments at the Octagon Art Festival on Main Street Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Ames, Iowa.
(from right) Haley Cook from Ames, Aleyna Follett, Amelia Bertness, and one-year-old Gwendolyn Bertness browse ornaments at the Octagon Art Festival on Main Street Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Ames, Iowa.

Where is the Octagon Art Festival?

The Octagon Art Festival is held on Main Street and connecting streets in downtown Ames.

Main Street will be closed to vehicles from Douglas Avenue to Clark Avenue.

Burnett Avenue and Kellogg Avenue will be closed for a half-block north of Main Street, and Douglas Avenue will be closed one block north to Fifth Street.

More: Learn more about local glassblower Art Ciccotti

Jewelry by artist Audrey Stirling is an example of the artwork that will be featured at the 52nd Octagon Art Festival is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ames.
Jewelry by artist Audrey Stirling is an example of the artwork that will be featured at the 52nd Octagon Art Festival is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ames.

How many artists will be at the Octagon Art Festival?

The festival will feature 85 artists from seven Midwestern states. The festival will include some local artists, including glassblower Art Ciccotti, mixed media artist Jordan Brooks and watercolor painter Jo Myers-Walker.

Four local, emerging artists are being highlighted at this year’s festival: Natalie Deam, printmaking; Claire Elise, ceramics; Audrey Stirling, jewelry; and Ruby Walker, painting.

“The Octagon Center for the Arts is passionate about supporting artists," Johnson said in the release. "One of our goals is to provide space and opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers, including a focus on emerging artists."

Will there be entertainment at the Octagon Art Festival?

Free live entertainment, including bands and performing arts, will occur throughout the festival at two locations.

Tom Evans Performance Area is located on the south side of the intersection of Main Street and Burnett Avenue. Another entertainment area will be staged on Main Street, just east of the Douglas Avenue intersection.

One Sunday's headliners, Steve E. George Band, was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2005. George, a Des Moines music community veteran, was inspired by the soulful gospel sounds of the elders in his small Baptist church when he was a child. He has been a vocalist and frontman since the 1960s.

More: Learn more about local mixed media artist Jordan Brooks

Steve E. George Band was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2005. The band will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Tom Evans Plaza during the Octagon Art Festival in downtown Ames.
Steve E. George Band was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2005. The band will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Tom Evans Plaza during the Octagon Art Festival in downtown Ames.

Will there be activities for kids at the Octagon Art Festival?

A kids’ craft area will be in front of the Octagon, 427 Douglas Ave.

Is there a map and a list of artists?

A downloadable festival map and a full list of featured artists — including their booth number and what media they work in — can be found on the Octagon’s website, octagonarts.org.

The Octagon Center for the Arts is located at 427 Douglas Ave. in downtown Ames.

What is the Octagon Center for the Arts?

Founded in 1966, the Octagon is a nonprofit community arts organization. It features art exhibits, art classes and a gift shop.

The Octagon Center for the Arts serves more than 30,000 people annually, including about 8,000 during the art festival.

What is the performance lineup for the Octagon Art Festival?

Tom Evans entertainment area

  • 10 a.m., Doomed Pioneers

  • 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Steve E. George Band

  • 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Kaizer Jazz

Main Street and Douglas Avenue entertainment area

  • 10 a.m., Mirage Middle Eastern Dance Troupe

  • 11 a.m., ISU Orchesis I Dance

  • Noon, Ames Writers Collective

  • 1 p.m., Des Moines Breakerz

  • 2 p.m., Music on the Move: Reggie Greenlaw

Shoppers and browsers fill downtown Ames during the 2022 Octagon Art Festival. This year's festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ames.
Shoppers and browsers fill downtown Ames during the 2022 Octagon Art Festival. This year's festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Ames.

What food trucks will be at the Octagon Art Festival?

Food trucks will be located on Kellogg, in the blocks north and south of Main Street.

  • Jack’s Beef Delight

  • Sweet Treats

  • Los Primos Grill

  • Karam’s Grill

  • Kona Ice of Central Iowa

  • Hotsy Totsy Food Truck

  • Ferinheit Wood Oven Pizza

  • Hungry Boys Taqueria

  • Peppermint Pinky's

Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Thousands of art lovers expected at Ames' Octagon Art Festival