ORANGE BEACH, AL - While any day is a good day to go to the beach, the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach is offering a great excuse to visit Pleasure Island in March — the 42^nd Orange Beach Festival of Art is set for March 12 and 13.

The festival will feature 100 booths of local and regional fine arts, plus stunning displays on the Performing Arts and Music stages. Festival goers may also enjoy live, visual arts demonstrations including hot glass and clay, delight in tasty offerings from the Culinary Arts area and dive into hands-on experiences in Kids Art Alley.

The festival is a fine arts, juried event every second weekend in March on the joint grounds of the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach and Waterfront Park on Canal Road. Festival hours are Saturday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The festival is completely free with public parking located at The Wharf. Shuttle service costs $2 each way. Public parking is not available on-site except for those utilizing the bicycle village on the arts center grounds.

With more than 100 artists working in a dazzling variety of mediums, festival-goers always have plenty to see, hear, touch, taste and smell as art vendors, musical performers and artist demonstrations deliver a multitude of sensory experiences.

Desiree Blackwell, the arts center director, explained the quality of artwork to be found at the Festival.

“Our visual artists were specially selected for this show and present only the highest quality art in their respective mediums,” she said. “Works in acrylic, oil, watercolor, glass, pottery, wood, jewelry, metal and more will be displayed and sold during the event.”

The music line-up will include Roman Street, Three Bean Soup, Coconut Radio, Cornbred, Lisa Zanghi and more. Performing artists in multiple genres will be featured on the Performing Arts Stage with acts including Coastal Ballet Academy, martial arts demonstrations and South Baldwin Community Theatre.

Special guests this year performing on stage and moving among the crowds are the Excelsior Band and Chinese Lion dancers. For a full list of performers, visit the festival website at OrangeBeachArtsFestival.com.

Culinary selections featured at the festival offer gourmet flair, while still providing plenty of child-friendly options. Feast your eyes on beautifully presented culinary pieces while savoring the rich flavors of the Gulf Coast.

Featured restaurants will include Cosmo’s Restaurant and Bar and Cobalt Restaurant, Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina, Shipp’s Harbour Grill, and Villaggio Grille.

In addition to the Culinary Arts section, this year’s festival will feature a Specialty Foods Area that will include Southern Grind Coffee House, The Meat Mart of Orange Beach, Two Sisters Olive, Grape, Little Angels Honey Farm and Rum Sisters.

Kid’s Art Alley offers young festival goers plenty of hands-on fun. Children can dig fingers into pottery and bright paint, enjoy games, watch live demonstrations and take home their own works of art. Gulf State Park Nature Center and the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo will offer children an up close look at wild animals.

Blackwell said that guests may also take this opportunity to learn about the new gallery building coming to the Arts Center’s cultural campus.

“Guests will be able to ‘catch the vision’ of our new art gallery featured in our beautiful, new artist renderings; construction began in January and we look forward to this exciting time of growth for the Arts Center,” she said. “As always, our grounds at the Coastal Arts Center provide a stunning scenic venue for this incredible event. With the backdrop of Wolf Bay, moss draped oaks, and an expansive lawn, the festival is a must-see for art lovers of all ages.”

Come experience Pleasure Island’s brightest and best at the 42nd annual Orange Beach Festival of Art March 12 and 13. For more information, visit OrangeBeachArtsFestival.com or call 251-981-ARTS (2787).

This project has been made possible by grants from the Alabama Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.