Sidewalk chalk festival returns to give community ‘a reason to smile’
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IDAHO FALLS — A growing sidewalk chalk festival is returning for its third year.
The third annual Idaho Falls Sidewalk Chalk Festival, sponsored in partnership by RiverWest Dental and the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho, will be free for the entire community to attend on July 20. The event has grown from around 30 competing artists in its first year to 55 artists this year.
“We are actively trying to give the community a reason to smile,” said event coordinator Kyle Peterson, also the marketing director for RiverWest Dental.
People who show up to the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho at 300 South Capital Avenue will find artists working on classical art pieces, lifelike portraits and pop culture pieces, all with sidewalk chalk. These artists will be competing for varying cash prizes in different experience and age brackets.
Chalk Pros and Chalk Novices are both open to any age to compete, for people who have a good amount of experience and those who are just starting out. The first-place award for the pro level is $1,000, and the novice is $500.
There are three separate junior brackets, with Power Powders for ages 7 through 10, Chalk Crushers for ages 11 through 14 and Concrete Conquerors for ages 15 through 18. The first place prize for Concrete Conquerors is $200 and is $100 for Chalk Crushers.
All competing artists have the opportunity to win the People’s Choice Award for $300. Spectators can vote online up to a week after the event.
Children can go to the free drawing section to draw whatever they can imagine. The museum will also be opening its doors free with two activities taking place inside: how to homemake chalk and how to create an artist journal.
“Kids can come and take a break from the hot sun, learn how to make chalk and learn how to make an art journal and see some of the stuff that’s already at the art museum for free,” Peterson said.
Although the crowd generally doesn’t show up to the event until around 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., artists can start work as early as 5 a.m. that morning. People who want to share their experience at the festival on social media can using the tag #IFCHALKFEST.
There’s not much room left for other artists to enter into the competition. Although the Chalk Novice bracket is completely full, there a few open spots left in the rest.
Peterson hopes to keep growing the event overtime so that they can allow more artists to showcase their talent and give them and the spectators a sense of nostalgia.
“Our event is unique because that childhood feeling that you have at a very young age of full creativity and full imagination… sidewalk chalk taps into that feeling,” Peterson said.