Redmond Town Center Hosts Annual Arts Festival This Weekend

More than 80 artists will gather in Redmond this weekend to showcase their latest creations at the third-annual , held 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the shopping center.

Attendees will find many new features at this year's event, including a juried art gallery and several free workshops and demonstrations. With the added activities, the festival is also attracting more artists from a larger geographic area, said Jessica Lambert of VALA Eastside—a Redmond-based nonprofit arts organization that is coordinating the lineup of artists for the first time this year.

One of the festival's biggest highlights, Lambert said, will be the new free workshops. Some of the topics include printmaking, perspective drawing, photography and beading—and Lambert said all will be very worthwhile for participants.

“These are professional artists doing workshops for free,” she said.

Workshops are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those wishing to participate can visit the VALA Eastside website for a workshop schedule, then call RTC guest services at 425-867-0808 to sign up, Lambert said.

Also new this year is the jury-selected VALA Art Gallery, located next to Sunglasses Hut at 16519 NE 74th St. A variety of mediums ranging from painting to photography to jewelry will be represented in the gallery, Lambert said.

Other festival activities include children's arts and crafts, live music, food vendors and more. Visit the VALA Eastside or Redmond Town Center websites for all the details.