It Takes a Village
Jun 01, 2014 09:13AM ● By David Williams
“The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is like creating a village—a city within a city,” says Vic Gutman, founder and director of the event. “Hundreds of artists interacting with tens of thousands of our friends and neighbors turns Farnam Street into Omaha’s back yard for one brief but exciting weekend. It’s a social experience as much as it is an art experience.”
The history of the festival closely mirrors that of Downtown Omaha over the course of the last four decades. The now-venerable Old Market was in its infancy when the event first moved to abut an empty pit of a construction zone that would soon become the Central Park Mall, now known as the Gene Leahy Mall. City sidewalks were largely deserted in a urban area that had for years been on a slow but steady economic decline.
“The backdrop for the festival has changed dramatically since then,” Gutman adds, “and the event parallels how our city has earned its reputation as a thriving place for creativity, culture, performing arts, and retail.”
The festival’s artist market may be the main attraction, but the all-ages fun also extends to a hands-on, activity-packed Children’s Fair. Ready for a bite? Check out the savory offerings of the TasteFest to fuel your booth-hopping journey from 10th to 15th streets along Farnam. The soundtrack of the crowd-pleasing event will once again be provided by an eclectic array of artists playing on the World Music Pavilion Stage.
Over its storied history, the event has attracted more than three million visitors to Downtown Omaha and more than $15 million in artwork has been sold.
“The Omaha Summer Arts Festival rises above a mere arts festival,” Gutman adds. “It’s about celebrating Downtown. It’s about community and the life of a city. It’s about Omaha.”
