Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Art and food will be returning to the streets of downtown Jonesboro in late April for the 9th annual Oasis Arts and Eats Fest.

Hosted by the Foundation of Arts (FOA), the free festival takes over Main Street and invites the community to engage with the many artistan and food vendors at the event. The event will include several activities for kids, including a petting zoo and a bouncy house.

“Oasis Arts and Eats Fest is like a celebration of all things art. Culinary arts, visual arts, performing arts, you name it, we want to feature it at Oasis,” said Meredith Pierce, FOA marketing director.

The event promotes handmade arts and food; there is no third-party selling. Additionally, musicians can apply to play during the festival, providing an extra layer of ambiance.

“We have handmade items from all vendors. We pride ourselves on that,” Pierce said. “If you buy something at Oasis, or you’re looking at something at Oasis, from the food to a piece of art, somebody has created that – that person sitting at the booth.”

“If you buy something at Oasis, or you’re looking at something at Oasis, from the food to a piece of art, somebody has created that – that person sitting at the booth.”

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Applications for artists, food vendors, and musicians have opened. While the early bird period has ended, the regular application period lasts until March 31. The late application period will be from April 1 to 10. All three have separate applications, which can be found below:

Calli Perkins, artist coordinator for the festival, said around 80 artists have applied to be vendors. Perkins added that while most artists are from Arkansas, artists from Alabama and Missouri will be selling their work.

Perkins said the event helps artists connect with one another and with area businesses.

“The artists, they talk to their neighbors as they get set up and throughout the festival. They get to meet a lot of local art enthusiasts. They get to meet local business owners and make connections that way,” Perkins said. “It’s a great way to connect with the audience and with other artisans.”

Additionally, the restaurants already in downtown Jonesboro often have deals and set up shop at the festival with samples. During the event, attendees can vote on their favorite restaurant with QR codes sprinkled across the festival. The restaurant with the most votes will receive an on-air advertising package with the Jonesboro Media Group.

There is a separate voting form for the food truck vendors, with the winner to receive free entry and have a guaranteed spot at next year’s festival. The winners of both will be announced on the Oasis Arts and Eats Fest’s social media after the festival ends.

There will also be a silent auction during the festival, taking place at the FOA’s Stage, Too venue, which is located at 330 S. Main St. Pierce said the auction will have food and drinks, and people can bid on art donated by artists participating in the festival. All proceeds from the auction, as well as vendor applications, go toward FOA outreach programs.

Pierce said the event benefits downtown and the greater Jonesboro community.

“We have all the downtown businesses, when we touch base with them after the festival, they all report amazing days of sales and interactions with people, and just coming in and out all day long,” Pierce said. “I think it’s one of the favorites of the downtowners and just the city in general. We only hear positive comments after it, to say, ‘This was a great day,’ ‘This is a wonderful festival.’ It does so many good things for our community.”

The Oasis Arts and Eats Fest is set for Saturday, April 25, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Jonesboro. More information can be found here.

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