Boulder City Art Festival draws visitors from far and wide

Art in the Park in Boulder City has become a must-attend event far beyond Nevada.

Jennifer Leggott of Cleveland, for example, purposely planned a long weekend trip to visit her sister, a Boulder City resident, around the 54th annual festival, which is one of the largest outdoor juried art festivals in the Southwest and is the largest fundraiser for the Boulder City Hospital Foundation.

The annual arts festival features scores of artists selling paintings, mosaics, wind chimes, pottery, jewelry and other pieces.

“I just think this is the best art show in the country,” Leggott, 47, said Sunday. “There are regulars here that we buy stuff from every year.”

Leggott and her sister, who attended the event both days, were sure to purchase jewelry from one of their favorite vendors, BeadforLife.

Sydney Hernandez, 25, a Denver resident formerly of Henderson, also planned a visit home to coincide with the annual festival, which she has been attending for 10 years.

She said it’s a tradition for her family to attend the festival and then head to the Boulder Pit Stop restaurant in Boulder City for some burgers.

Boulder City Hospital CEO Tom Maher called the festival an institution.

“The reputation of the event has grown so much that the first weekend of October has become known as Art in the Park weekend,” he said.

Maher said this year’s event has attracted 365 vendors — a near-record number of artists.

“It’s the best we’ve had in several years,” he said.

Maher said it’s difficult to get an accurate attendee count but added that past events have attracted 100,000 people.

“Working here both days of the weekend, it feels like 100,000,” he said.

Hernandez said she had her heart set on purchasing gourds, and woke up early Saturday morning to make sure she got her hands on them.

“They sell out in four hours on the first day,” she said on Sunday. “People get so crazy they pick up five at a time, and then pick from among them which one.”

Serial Art in the Park attendee Kara Walker, 45, of Las Vegas, believes the festival is a great place to find unique Christmas and birthday presents.

“It’s always a nice day out with friends,” she said.

Walker, meanwhile, purchased artwork from an artist who draws images and figures on the original pages of books that coincide with the words contained on the page. For one piece, he drew an English bulldog to match the word “Englishman” that was found on the page.

“It’s one of a kind,” Walker said.

Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.