Fremont may not seem like an art mecca, but each year hundreds of thousands of people visit the city for what organizers boast is the largest free festival on the west coast.
Now in it’s 28th year, the two-day Fremont Festival of the Arts is expected to draw 350,000 people this weekend, according to Dirk Lorenz, event chairman.
The festival, which spans four miles in central Fremont, kicked off yesterday and continues today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
It’s a “critical community event” for the Tri-Cities, Lorenz said.
The event features more than 600 artist vendors, 18 live music acts and dozens of food booths benefiting local non-profits. It also features a play area for kids — with games, rides and face painting — a wine garden for the grown-ups, a gourmet food marketplace and more.
“It’s a great place to bring our daughter and a safe place,” said a member of the Pierce family of Fremont. “Even before her, it was just a cool place to hang out.”
Check out the sights of the festival in the video above.
For more information about the festival, call 510-795-2244 or click here to visit the festival’s website. Click here for a map of the festival and click here for directions.
