Freeport chalk festival to challenge artists, promote the borough

Freeport has a storied past, a rejuvenated present and an up-and-coming future. Local business owners are encouraging artists to depict that on borough sidewalks during a chalk festival this weekend.

The second annual Freeport Chalk Art Celebration will take place Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29 along Fifth Street.

“It’s a really nice way to highlight the town,” said Virginia Lindsay, co-owner of 1833 Coffee and Tea Co.

1833 Coffee and the Freeport Renaissance Association are hosting the event. Last year, the festival was held during the September by the River event.

“It was so well-received, the chalk art, we wanted to do it again,” Lindsay said.

This year, it’s being held in tandem with the Freeport International Baseball Invitational.

“We already have all these people coming into Freeport,” said 1833 Coffee co-owner and Freeport native Karen Heilman. “Let’s do something that benefits Freeport.”

The idea for the first event came from a trip to Meadville by Heilman. While visiting, she noticed the town had a chalk festival and relayed the information to Lindsay.

“I texted her, ‘Hey, look what they’re doing in Meadville,’ ” Heilman said. “It was a nice way to bring the community together.”

This year’s theme is “Freeport: Past, Present and Future.” With that theme, the possibilities for drawings are endless, Lindsay said.

“It can be either memories of long ago or what’s happening now, what they love about Freeport or what they envision in the future,” Lindsay said.

People can register on the festival’s Eventbrite page or by visiting the coffee shop in person. The event has youth, adult and group categories. Winners will receive cash prizes.

The youth category is for children ages 10 to 15. The sidewalk size is 5 feet by 5 feet, and the cost to participate is $5.

The adult category is for people 16 and older. The cost for that category is $10, and the sidewalk size is just under 7 feet by 7 feet. The group category is for two or more people; the sidewalk size for it also is just under 7 feet by 7 feet, and the cost to register is $15.

Those who would like a larger area — about 13 feet by 7 feet — should buy two tickets.

Participants will be assigned a section of sidewalk in Freeport to create their drawing, and the Renaissance Association will provide sidewalk chalk. Lindsay encouraged participants to bring their own chalk pastels, sponges and water bottles for blending.

Artists can begin no earlier than 6 a.m. July 28 and end no later than 3 p.m. July 29. Judges for the contest are local art teachers. Winners will be announced before the concert that evening in the Hope Garden.

Heilman said Freeport is an oasis along the Allegheny River and has much to offer, and she looks forward to seeing what artists tap into to showcase the borough.

“Our goal here is to always celebrate the community, bring people to town, and increase the community feel in town and highlight the creativity of people in town,” Lindsay said.