It is Spring Fest time again and this Arts Council tradition has entertained, inspired and enriched many children in Ashe County for 29 years.
Spring Fest will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday April 20, at the Early Learning Center (old West Jefferson School Gym). This event is free for young and old.
Spring Fest will feature over two dozen hands-on art activities for children of all ages. The theme for Spring Fest is “Growing Up with the Arts,” and this year’s hands-on activity tables will feature creative projects that have to do with things that grow in nature.
Art teachers from all five schools have designed activities to inspire creativity and expand the imagination. Other activities will include hands-on clay station, face painting and more. There will be a nominal charge of $5 to silkscreen a T-shirt with the festival logo designed by Pat Morrison.
The popular student “Talent Show” will return featuring talented individual Ashe County students as well as performances by the local dance groups, April’s School of Dance, Dancin’ Debbies and Fleet Feet Cloggers. Exhibits from all Ashe County Schools will highlight student artwork. Spring Fest would not be complete without the food and this year’s festival will include pizza, subs, cookies, drinks and more.
In conjunction with Spring Fest, Very Special Arts will take place Friday April 19. Ashe County’s exceptional students and young adults will enjoy music, entertainment and student exhibits. Face painting, balloons, t-shirt silk screening as well as a variety of “hands on” activities such as clay sculpture, printmaking, fabric art and jewelry making will keep participants busy. Helen White, former teacher and professional musician, will be entertaining the students with guitar music and songs.
The Ashe County Arts Council has a long-standing commitment to increasing the availability of arts opportunities for children and adults. The Arts Council strongly believes that the arts are a positive vehicle for self-expression, creativity, problem solving, and an understanding of diverse cultures.
Very Special Arts and Spring Fest is funded, in part, by a grant from the Grassroots Arts Program from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency and sponsored locally by the Ashe County Arts Council.
Spring Fest will utilize over 150 volunteers and is a great way for the community to be involved in the arts. There are many ways to volunteer. For more information call the Arts Council at 336-846-ARTS.






















