It’s almost time for the 43rd annual Denton Arts & Jazz Festival this weekend at Quakertown Park.
While the fest will have music headliners, including Fly Naked with Peter Weller of RoboCop fame, Jimmie Vaughan & the Tilt-a-Whirl Band and Brave Combo, the free festival also offers a variety of family-oriented activities for families Friday through Sunday.
This includes the free children’s art tent, which lets kids experience art in many forms, and other festivities to enjoy.
In addition to local and national jazz acts, the annual festival celebrates the arts in Denton, a community known for embracing and nurturing music, dance, choral, drama and the visual arts.
Organizers said the festival is dedicated to a mission of introducing children to the arts. The children’s art tent will be in the north park area of the festival.
“It's always been very family-orientated,” said Karen Bell, assistant director of the festival.
Liz Seibt, owner and director of Springbok Academy, said the children’s art tent will feature music-related activities and crafts that are different from last year.
“They'll have an opportunity to make paper-plate guitars and decorate them,” Seibt said. “ … We have clothespin monsters that they can make. We have Lego painting, and stamping so that they can do different textures on dinosaurs. And then they can make necklaces with washers.”
Denton-based Springbok Academy sponsors the children’s art tent, helping pay for the craft supplies. Seibt said they get great feedback from families since it allows kids to stay busy doing arts and crafts.
Bell said other activities this year will include a small Ferris wheel, a rock-climbing wall and face painting, and a local church will have a small basketball activity set up.
As for music, Bell said family-oriented music includes the Strung Up Sisters performing at 8 p.m. Friday at the Celebration Stage and Little Comic at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Celebration Stage.
Bell also said families usually have a great time when Denton-based band Brave Combo takes the stage.
“They do, like, the Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey, so that's always a big family thing,” Bell said.