ORANGE BEACH, AL – There’s a hum of activity at the Coastal Art Center at Orange Beach campus this week and has been for several weeks.

That’s not unusual as staffers and volunteers prepare for the 42nd Orange Beach Festival of Arts.

What is unusual is the sound of rumbling machinery rolling over the grounds on the edge of Wolf Bay.

“I have cement trucks up and down the driveway,” Center Director Desiree Blackwell said. “Just another day as we multi-task.”

So with the usual to-do list that comes with organizing a first-class festival, a major construction project is also underway on the grounds. Work recently started on the center’s new gallery and meeting facility

“It’s something right at the moment,” Blackwell said with a nervous laugh. “I just try to breathe every day, just breathe so we can get through this. It’s just a lot right now but it’s all good, it’s all positive stuff. But it’s a lot.

“It’s hard to get past the concrete truck right now.”

But Blackwell and staff and volunteers from the Friends of the Art are excited about the more than 90 artists, culinary artist, specialty food vendor, musicians and performers lined up for the festival Saturday and Sunday.

Orange Beach Elementary will be the official soda booth to raise funds for the school. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday.

“We are finalizing logistics and are excited about the crowds we expect,” Blackwell said. “We have launched our media campaign for this year which includes television ads this year which we haven’t done in a couple of years. We’re glad to have that back this year.”

A surprise BP grant helped with the advertising. Friends of the Arts, a private support group working for the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach, received a third grant from BP for about $37,000.

The center, through the Friends, received $500,000 in November of 2012 in the BP program. The latest one had to be used for promotions and Blackwell was glad to get the help.

“The extra BP grant that came through for the Friends of the Arts assisted with a major advertising campaign,” she said.

Part of the logistics includes organizing more than 100 volunteers who make the two-day festival work.

“The kids’ area takes many volunteers to run,” she said. “We’ve got six to seven art booths and it takes two volunteers per booth.”

Restaurants having culinary booths will include Cobalt, Cosmo’s, Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina, Shipp’s Harbour Grill and Villiago.

Because of the construction of the culinary area and performance stage will be in the same vicinity.

“We’ve had to adjust our festival grounds due to the construction of the gallery,” Blackwell said. “It’s a little smaller stage but we’re able to take the performances to the people.

“We have Excelsior Band from Mobile. A Chinese lion dance group and a theater group that will move out and among the crowd. They are going to bring another element to it that we haven’t had.”

MUSICAL LINEUP:

SATURDAY:

Savannah Litton, 10:15-11:30 a.m.

Lisa Zanghi, 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.

Coconut Radio, 1:30-3 p.m.

Cornbred, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

SUNDAY:

Salmon Pants, 10:15-11:45 a.m.

Roman Street, noon-1:30 p.m.

Three Bean Soup, 1:45-3:15 p.m.

PERFORMING ARTS STAGE

 SATURDAY

Gulf Coast Martial Arts, 11-11:30 a.m.

Chinese Lion Dancers, 11:30 a.m.-noon        

Coastal Ballet Academy, noon-1 p.m.

South Baldwin Community Theatre, 1-1:30 p.m.

Chinese Lion Dancers and Excelsior Band, 1:30-2 p.m.      

Excelsior Band, 2-4 p.m.

SUNDAY

Chinese Lion Dancers, 11-11:30 a.m.

Coastal Arts Center Theatre Troupe, 11:30-11:50 a.m.

Tai Chi demonstration, 11:50 a.m.-12:30 p.m.          

Auburn Indian Music Ensemble & Da Chiatra Gururaj, 12:30-3 p.m