Artwork by Sean Huntington, one of more than 170 artists in the festival.

Since its first incarnation in August 2000, the Elmwood Festival of the Arts has literally doubled in size—twice as many artists showing their work, twice as many stages for performers, twice the number of performers and participating arts organizations. Meanwhile, the festival’s reputation and attendance numbers have grown at an even greater pace; originally intended as a more locally focused, accessible and (for local artists especially) affordable alternative to the sprawling Allentown Arts Festival, it has come to be regarded as something more than that—an arts festival that truly celebrates Buffalo and its people, reflecting the city and the region’s living cultural wealth, as represented by working artists.

This year’s festival, stretching four blocks of Elmwood Avenue from West Ferry to Lafayette, features work by more than 170 artists, 70 percent of whom are from Western New York—a percentage that has held steady through all six previous festivals. More than 60 performers will appear on four stages. The Kidsfest, conceived by two of the festival’s original cofounders, Tanya Zabinski and Diane Schaefer, offers activities for children and adults all day long, on both days of the festival, ranging from hat-making to wood-sculpting with the inimitable Cousin Kelly. The Festival Cafe offers both exotic and typical festival fare from 19 local restaurants and vendors. (Seven years ago cofounders Joe DiPasquale and Newell Nussbaumer swore that, in the spirit of differentiation, one would never be able to buy Italian sausage or fried dough at the Elmwood Festival of the Arts. Some things change; festival-goers can get a Mineo & Sapio sausage now. There is still no fried dough, though the lack of it is hardly a drawback.)

There will be tai chi on the street corners and a canned food collection for Food Bank of Western New York. Street musicians will wander among the artists’ booths and displays by cultural groups too numerous to list here. A row of environmental organizations near Auburn Avenue will offer demonstrations on composting and renewable energy, among other valuable information. The festival reaches its culmination at 4pm on Sunday, when the weekend of children’s creative activities ends with the Peaceable Kingdom Parade—in which a handsomely costumed king and a queen trailing a 90-foot, flower-bedecked silken train will be flanked by peace-flag-bearing, festival-mask-wearing, bell-ringing courtiers, accompanied by dancers from the Gaia Tribe of Ilya’s Bellydance Studio and the 12/8 Path Band. Truly not to be missed.

The Elmwood Festival of the Arts takes place rain or shine on Saturday, August 26, 10am-6pm, and Sunday, August 27, 11am-5pm. All festivities are free and open to the public. Organizers expect nearly 100,000 visitors over the course of the two-day event, so consider riding a bike or taking the bus, as parking and traffic will be congested. They further recommend that you leave your pets at home.

Some of the events and performances follow. For up-to-the-minute information, visit www.elmwoodartfest.org.

Children perusing jewelry at last year's festival.

Saturday August 26, 2006

Lafayette Stage

11am—Babik

Noon—Festival Ballet Ensemble

12:30pm—Aaron Piepszny

1pm—Pick of the Crop Dance

1:45pm—Janet Reed & Dancers

2:30pm—Buffalo Contemporary Dance

3:30pm—Greater Buffalo Youth Ballet

4pm—Daughters of Creative Sound

5pm—Bella Buscarino & Friends

Center Stage at Auburn

10am—Nickel City Fencers’ Club

11am—The Path

Noon—Creekbend

1pm—Kathy Beck w/Trio

2pm—Emerald Isle

3pm—John Lombardo & Joe Rozler

4pm—John & Mary

5pm—Paul Hage & the Mirage Band

Unitarian Church Dance Tent

10am—TBA

11am—School of Rock

Noon—The Skiffle Minstrels

1:30pm—Neville Francis

3pm—Dr. Z’s Blues Review w/Doug Yeoman, Pete Howard, Rob Lynch and Steve Sadoff

4:30—Jama Jama Community Drumming with Baba M’Baye

5pm—Outer Circle Orchestra

Kidsfest Performance Tent

10am—Garth Sinclair, Scottish bagpipes

11am—Greater Buffalo Youth Ballet

Noon—Folkloric Productions, Middle Eastern dancing with Kathy Skora

1pm—Mary Hirtzel, Japanese instrumental

2pm—Barbara Petz: I AM…a performance and music workshop

3pm—African Cultural Center, child dancers

3:30pm—Michael Meldrum

4pm—Capoeira Mandinga Buffalo, Brazillian martial arts

5pm—Community Music School, children’s musical workshop

John Lombardo, Mary Ramsey and the Valkyries play on Sunday at 1pm. Lombardo plays with Joe Rozler on Saturday at 3pm and again with Ramsey at 4pm.

Sunday, August 27

Lafayette Stage

11am—Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields

Noon—Michael Meldrum & the Buffalo Song Project

1pm—John & Mary & the Valkyries

2pm—Afro-Brazilian Drum & Dance

3pm—Terry Sullivan: Low Lamp Sessions

Center Stage at Auburn

11am—Stacy Zawadzki’s ECNAD Dance Co.

Noon—Nadia Ibrahim Middle Eastern Dance Troupe

1pm—Noa Bursie

2pm—David Kane

3pm—Stu Shapiro & Outofar Trio

Unitarian Church Dance Tent

11am—Tapestry Charter School Ukelele Band. Director: Stuart Fuchs.

Noon—Kilissa Cissoko

1pm—Flatbed

2pm—One World Tribe

4pm—The Painkillers

Kidsfest Performance Tent

11am—Dave Ruch

Noon—Rince Na Tiarna Irish dancers

1pm—Karima Amin, children’s storytelling

2pm—Maria Murphy, Indonesian music workshop

2:30pm—Gaia Tribe from Ilya’s, world fusion dancers

3pm—Michael Meldrum and the Buffalo Song Project

4pm—Peaceable Kingdom Parade with puppeteers Franklin LaVoie and Kyla Kegler