Art and Soul on the Fox has music, dance and art this weekend
Come on down to the Fox River for the ninth annual Art and Soul on the Fox, a juried art fair, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in downtown Elgin.
With a new venue, you can walk along the river and visit the artist tents along Riverside Drive. Juried artist booths will line both sides of Riverside Drive and Prairie Street. The street will be closed to all through traffic.
It showcases more than 75 artists while providing a venue for talented regional entertainment and children's activities.
A new layout will utilize the Riverside Drive Promenade while continuing to allow attendees to explore Elgin's downtown area:
• "Artist Alley": Juried artists and artisans will line Riverside Drive Promenade;
• "Center Stage": Live entertainment on DuPage Court;
• "KidsZone": Childrens' activities and crafts at the south end of the promenade near Prairie Street and the Festival Park splash pad;
• "Food on Wheels": Food trucks will be located in the parking lot near the north end of the promenade;
• "The Galleria": Additional artists as well as the site of the raffle drum is the gallery inside the Elgin ArtSpace Lofts.
The Center Stage entertainment begins Saturday with STEPS Academy's Move-U Company Dance from the Taylor YMCA from 11 to 11:30 a.m. It will continue with Jazz Big Band Consortium from noon to 1 p.m., Children's Theater of Elgin from 1:30 to 2 p.m., singer and guitarist Mark Vormittag from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and Bartlett High students Naomi Watts and Kinga Smutek, members of the band Fern and U-46 TalentFest winners, at 4:30 p.m.
On Sunday, the main stage entertainment is Comstock Lode Country Rock Band from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Annie Young Gospel Blues Band from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m., Elgin High student Brandon Garcia, U-46 TalentFest winner, from 3 to 3:30 p.m., and New Hope Baptist Church Senior Choir from 4 to 5 p.m.
Tickets for the Saturday Night Soul & Salsa concert, which is from 5 to 10:30 p.m. in Festival Park, are $5 and can be purchased in advance at www.elginartandsoul.com or in person with cash or credit card.
The musical schedule is:
• Alpha Omega Funk Brotherz from 5 to 6 p.m.: An Elgin party band that covers funk, disco, R&B, pop and other dance favorites from the 1970s until today. Visit www.funkbrotherz.com.
• Luis Palermo & ORQ Brasa All Stars from 6:30 to 8 p.m.: Palermo continues his salsa musical history after a run in New York, Puerto Rico and other stages in the U.S. and Latin America.
• Motown Review from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.: A group that brings tribute performances of The Temptations, The Supremes, The Commodores, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.
There is easy access to the fest via the bike path, train or car. Parking is free.
Visit elginartandsoul.com for details.