Summerlin festival will help kick off fall

Summerlin Centre Community Park, 1800 S. Town Center Drive, will be transformed into one of the valley's largest outdoor art galleries at the 18th Summerlin Art Festival, running 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 13 and 14.

Festivalgoers can browse and shop a variety of unique works representing more than 100 local and national artists, admire chalk art creations and enjoy a wide variety of entertainment.

The event is free and open to the public.

Tom Warden, senior vice president of community and government relations for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin, said this event typically attracts more than 20,000 attendees.

"The Summerlin Art Festival is an annual tradition for many Southern Nevadans who appreciate culture and the arts," Warden said. "This year is particularly exciting as we welcome several national artists making their local debut at our event. We encourage everyone to come out and spend their day with us - you won't regret it."

Artworks include a variety of handmade, one-of-a-kind creations including paintings, glasswork, pottery, jewelry, metalwork, sculpture, mixed media and woodcrafts - all of which are available for purchase.

Besides the available artwork, more than 100 local aspiring artists will cover the sidewalks with chalk art masterpieces.

Popular artist Donovan Fitzgerald is the returning featured chalk artist. Fitzgerald is well-known for his classical reproductions and has participated in the event for nearly a decade.

Performers at the 2012 event include members of The Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre, Las Vegas Philharmonic and Nevada School of the Arts.

Chef Chanh Boupha will do fruit and ice-carving demonstrations.

A variety of children's activities will be hosted by Children's Discovery Museum and Art Starts Here in the Children's Art Pavilion. And face painters, balloon artists and a wide variety of mascots will be on-site to add to the event's festive atmosphere.

Visit www.summerlinartfest
ival.com for more information about the event.

Summerlin began to take shape in 1990. National and regional studies have ranked the it in the country's top 10 best-selling master-planned communities for nearly two decades.

Summerlin, located along the Las Vegas Valley's western rim, encompasses 22,500 acres with about 6,600 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth within the master plan. The community is now home to nearly 100,000 residents.

Amenities include more than 150 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 miles of the Summerlin Trail System, 26 public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, nine golf courses, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, and business parks.

Summerlin has more than three dozen actively selling floor plans.

Homes are available in a variety of styles - from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts - priced from the high $100,000s to more than $1 million.

Custom-home sites in The Ridges are priced from the high $200,000s.

Luxury apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the $800s.

For more information on Summerlin, visit www.summerlin.com or www.facebook.com/summerlinlv.