Chalk It Up: Transforming parking lot into works of art upcoming festival in O’Fallon
A new art festival will serve as an unofficial Welcome Back Party in O’Fallon’s Downtown District on Saturday, June 26.
A full day of art, music, food, shopping and fun activities are planned from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the inaugural BazaArt and Chalk It Up To Art event.
“We never went away, but it will be amazing to see downtown crowded with couples, families, and smiles as they walk around and see all the art and shops,” said Cory Hollerbach, co-owner and an art teacher at the Art Gecko Creative Studio.
Hollerbach has collaborated with Sarah Burton, Vine Street Market Coordinator with the O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department, to plan the festivities.
“We are so excited and can’t wait for Saturday to get here,” Hollerbach said.
“I have been wanting to do a chalk contest within the city for six years, and asked and got pushed, so I happened to mention it to Sarah since I am on the Vine Street Artisan Committee, and she was so excited and said, ‘Let’s do it!’” Hollerbach added.
Burton said the Vine Street Market will be going on at the O’Fallon Station during its traditional summer hours from 8 a.m. to noon.
“We will have live music going on,” Burton said.
Art Will Be the Focus
Hollerbach’s studio at 218 E. State St., which is co-owned by Robin Springer, is sponsoring a live chalk art competition in the parking lot, directly across from Bike Surgeon.
Cash prizes will be awarded.
Registration will take place from 8-8:30 a.m., with artists at work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is open to all levels of sidewalk chalk artists — whether “dabblers” or a group. But people must be 16 years old or older. Fee is $15 for a 5x5 ft. space. For an additional $5, people can have the whole parking space, 9x18 ft. To register in advance, visit http://bit.ly/2QaR1jb
“Anyone can sign up to draw in the Chalk It Up To Art competition. My market staff and I are tag teaming a stall and each of us is drawing/coloring a 1/3rd of our design,” Burton said.
For people who don’t have chalk, Art Gecko will sell an 18-piece box for $10, which will be available at the check-in tent. People can also stroll through the finished displays in the afternoon and evening.
BazaArt portion of event
An art expo, BazaArt, will take place from 5-9 p.m. at the O’Fallon Station, 212 E. First St. More than 20 local artists will offer their work for sale — watercolors, paintings, potters, handmade clothing and jewelry. A tarot card reader will also be available.
“Art Gecko will have a vendor tent with art pieces from a few students that will be for sale, and the students will get to keep all the sale amount except 5%, which will go to Randy’s Rescue. Some artists that have decided to sell are from a few of our watercolor students to as young as one of our 6-year-old drawing students,” Hollerbach said.
To ask other artists, they advertised but also reached out to an artist network in St. Louis, as well as SIUE, SWIC, OTHS and Edwardsville art departments.
“Retired art teachers as well. It was hard to get people to give us a shot,” Hollerbach said.
Supporting local artists is the main goal and they hope it could turn into an annual event.
“We would love to make this event bigger for next year,” Hollerbach said.
Live Music Throughout the Day
Burton said more music has been added since the event poster was printed. A mix of different styles will be offered throughout the event.
During the Vine Street Market, Angela French, who specializes in melodic alternative music, will entertain from 9 a.m. to noon at the O’Fallon Station. She is sponsored by Fezziwig’s Marketplace.
The Downtown District Stage, located at Art Gecko, has a three-band line-up. Mr. Deborah, which specializes in covers, will perform from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Street Corner Serenade, a three-piece band of guitar, keyboard and drums, will play from 1-4:30 p.m.; and Mississippi Crossing, which focuses on acoustic and bluegrass, will play from 5-9 p.m. Bank of O’Fallon is the sponsor.
Justin Jagler and the Riverside Renegades, who is known for soulful roots music, will play from 5 to 9 p.m. at the O’Fallon Station patio stage, sponsored by the Boarding House Bistro.
Fun Indoors and Outside
The Roaming Riddle Mobile Escape Room will be parked near O’Fallon Station. It has half-hour time slots available, from 5-9 p.m. To reserve one, visit https://www.artgeckostudio.org/upcoming-events.
Inside their themed trailer, teams will have a time limit to search for clues, solve puzzles, crack codes, decode messages and unravel riddles to accomplish their mission.
For more information, email info@roamingriddle.com
A dunk tank will be located from 1-4 p.m. at Chalk It Up, to include volunteers from around the community.
“Matt Smallheer from Tye Dye Iguana and our St. Clair County Board member, and Jim Sabella from Wolfersberger Funeral Home, are just a few so far that our O’Fallon citizens can come and try to dunk,” Hollerbach said.
Downtown District shops, restaurants and bars will be open for business.
Food and Drinks
The food truck, Burgers STL, will be at the Vine Street Market from 8 a.m. to noon.
Local businesses will offer drinks and eats for the street and market events from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., including Gears at Bike Surgeon, The Depot Bar & Grill and Boarding House Bistro.
Located within the Bike Surgeon bike shop, Gears offers a selection of over 30 local microbrews, locally bottled sodas, a variety of sandwiches, and more.
Boarding House Bistro specializes in custom charcuterie boards and gift boxes but also has a Bottle Shop and a Bistro Bar. Its petite deli has a Grab & Go cooler with box lunches.
The Depot offers appetizers, chicken wings, sandwiches, salads, sides and dinner specials.
Flamentco’s The Place, specializing in New York style pizza and subs, will have their new food truck on site, and TC’s Treats will offer their hand-crafted Philly style water ice and homemade ice cream.
O’Fallon Feels Like Home
Hollerbach and Springer have owned Art Gecko for five years.
“We opened in April 2016. It feels longer, and it feels like home,” she said.
She is happy to be part of the Downtown District business community.
“Their efforts are always supportive and they are excited to find ways to make it more inviting,” Hollerbach said. “We are a retired military family, so O’Fallon is home for me, and nothing says home like downtown O’Fallon.”
Feeling blessed
Hollerbach added they survived the COVID-19 pandemic with much support.
“We have been blessed by our amazing art families that have allowed us to do private lessons or take-home art kits, etc. We did custom hand-painted yard signs to also help supplement income. Our amazing landlord, Ned Drolet, has been a saint and understood,” she said.
As for the possibility of rain in a summer weather pattern and a forecast that indicates spot storms could develop in the area, Hollerbach is hopeful they will miss O’Fallon.
“We are hoping Mother Nature hears us and holds off on the rain. I know we need the rain, but it can rain on Sunday. If it rains, then the chalk contest is off, of course, but BazaArt will still go on, depending on what kind of rain,” she said.
For the latest updates and information, follow social media for the O’Fallon Parks and Recreation Department, the Downtown District O’Fallon, Art Gecko Creative Studio and BazaArt and Chalk It Up event page.