Arts in the Heart kicks off in downtown Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Arts in the Heart has officially kicked off in downtown Augusta.

It is the biggest event in downtown Augusta, attracting almost 95,000 people.

Friday was the first day of Arts in the Heart of Augusta, and the crowds did not disappoint.

Families from all around were excited to be there. Al Harris came with his daughter and has done so for the last six years.

“It’s great to see all the people,” Harris said. “I don’t want to be down here tomorrow because I know it’s going to be ridiculous. There’s going to be plenty of people down here, everywhere.”

Foods, arts and music, it’s all pretty hard to miss as vendors stretch as far as the eye can see and people overtake Broad Street in downtown Augusta. It took two years, but the festival is back.

“It really starts with the heart,” Henry Knox, Arts in the Heart volunteer, said. “This is all people’s creation, what they love to do and they pour it out here at Arts in the Heart.”

It’s a festival both parents and children can enjoy.

“We’ve been coming out the last five or six years ever since my daughter was a little baby,” Harris said. “We like to come out and walk around. She likes to spend my money.”

Spending money and walking around, it’s the people who make this event so much fun.

“There is no limit on how many people can come to Arts in the Heart,’’ Knox said. “It’s really an unlimited amount, it’s an outdoor event. The fire marshall is not going to kick anyone out.”

The activities are unlimited, but it can be hard to choose just one. Overall it’s a feeling of excitement as Arts in the Heart kicks off another year.

Brytni Soto attended the event with her husband and daughter. It is their first time after moving to the area two months ago.

“I love to see the local vendors,” Soto said. “We didn’t have anything like this from where we are from, so this has been a really great night and we are excited to come back tomorrow.”

As the night falls, the dancing in the street is just getting started.

If you didn’t get a chance to come out to the festival, it will be going on all weekend. Gates open at Saturday at 11 a.m. and at noon on Sunday.

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