Culture
Lancaster Festival 2016: Downtown Lancaster’s Artwalk
By: Emily Votaw
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For Lancaster born and raised artist Diane Ackers, the annual Lancaster Festival is a lot more than simply a reason to enjoy fair food and the midsummer beauty of Southeast Ohio. 2016 marks the third year that the self taught painter has taken part in the event’s Artwalk, which draws hundreds of people to the streets of downtown Lancaster to take in special exhibitions from regional artists.
“It’s amazing how many people come to the downtown for this event,” said Ackers during a short interview in the midst of the event Friday night. “The festival as a whole is a really good thing for the community. So many people come out, and it’s strange because you don’t usually get to see how many people actually populate Lancaster, I guess most of the time everybody is staying busy with work and their families.”
The crowds were certainly out for Friday night’s festivities, swelling the streets with the sound of live music and general joviality.
“People think that Lancaster is just a little farm town, but a lot of people turn out for the festival,” said Lancaster resident and business owner Gary Lucus. Lucas owns Sparkle and Rust, an art gallery in downtown Lancaster, alongside his wife.
“The Artwalk is always a big event,” said Lucus while his shop filled with event-goers Friday night. “It’s always a very nice time.”
The Lancaster Festival will be going strong all through this week and into the weekend. For a detailed listing of events, check out the event’s website.
