November First Fridays slide show
GOSHEN -- In a festival focused around art and artists, this month's First Fridays was director Grace Hunsberger's own work of art.
The weather was perfect and attendance was high at the monthly block party, this month themed Fall Arts Festival.
"I actually had to take back alleys because I was running into people," Hunsberger said, adding that everything lined up perfectly for this month's event, down to the chestnuts the Fish Lake Organic Berry Patch was roasting outside the Goshen Theater. "The smell of fall is in the air. I think the chestnuts help."
Many of the events downtown centered around the art theme. The Goshen Theater housed musical performances all night, and one of the children's activities this month was an art craft at Accents Framing and Gifts -- children made a leaf mask, a pencil topper or a fabric pumpkin.
Even Spacious Heart Yoga took on the theme by putting on an AcroYoga performance -- a combination of yoga, acrobatics and Thai massage -- in the Goshen Theater. Performers wore brightly colored clothing and lifted each other into the air using their legs while lying on the floor in tune to music.
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Signs directed people to artists' guilds on the Mill Race, where vendors were taking advantage of both First Fridays and this weekend's Open Studio Tour, a biannual self-guided tour of artists' studios in Goshen.
Donna Arnold, co-facilitator and founder of the Goshen Painters Guild, said about 100 people usually come through the guild during Open Studio weekends. The guild displayed paintings for sale and put out snacks for customers.
Arnold said she's hopeful that the Open Studio event will give the artists some sales this weekend, but it's hard to know in the recession.
"The economy hasn't made art high on people's lists," Arnold said.
Arnold said the Painters Guild is considering opening for First Fridays in the near future.
The Goshen Clay Artists Guild was packed Friday evening, with customers checking out pieces for sale and enjoying the wine and cheese.
Director Fred Driver said the guild usually only participates in the weekend once a year, and he said having a sale during First Fridays helps increase traffic.
The Open Studio Tour continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. For a full list of participants, visit www.openstudiotour.com.