01 Aug Mark Your Calendars Sept. 16-18
40th Anniversary of Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival
For forty years Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival has been bringing Augustans together to celebrate our wealth of arts, amazing cultural diversity, and of course, food. On September 16-18, 2022, Augusta is one of the few places in the South where you can literally eat your way around the world in two and a half days. This year the Festival will be bigger and better than ever with an additional city block added! It will encompass the Augusta Common and the 600, 700, 800 and 900 Blocks of Broad Street. The unique Global Food Village has authentic cuisine from 18 countries, while the Artists Market boasts over 100 juried Fine Artists booths. There are 5 stages of non-stop performances on the Global Stage, the Community Stage, the Jazz Stage, the Family Stage and the new Soul Suite Stage. Local songwriters will take the Global stage after Opening Ceremonies on Friday as part of The Augusta Press inaugural Press Play songwriter competition. Seventeen songwriters submitted entries. The top six will take the stage to each perform a 20-minute set with the winner receiving $500; second place will get $250 and third will win $100.
Featured performers on the Global Stage this year include Swanee Quintet on Sunday evening and Wycliffe Gordon performing with the Wayne Hoey Band on Friday. Impulse Ride hits the Community Stage on Saturday, and TGLive is on the Jazz Stage Friday. The Family Stage has lots of great family-oriented performances including Savannah Winds Middle Eastern Dancers, and the new Soul Suite Stage which is booked with spoken word and music features Is0lated Beauty on Sunday.
Advanced Festival badges are $12 per person and available online. Children 10 and under are admitted to the festival free. Badges are $15 per person starting Sept. 16th both online and at the Festival entrance gates. Printed online tickets can be exchanged at the Festival gates for a collectible 40th Anniversary Festival Badge.
A limited number of advanced discount badges are also available in at the following locations in Augusta: Richmond County Tag Offices, Tax Commission Office, Vintage Ooollee and at Augusta and Co. Addresses and hours of operation provided on the Festival website.
A large inter-active Family Area with street performers and hands-on activities for children will be on the 600 block of the Festival. The popular Young Artists Market, where children and youth can sell their creative wares, also returns to the Family Area. Young Artists Market applications are available online on the Festival website. Volunteer applications are also available online.
Festival details, schedules, maps, menus and updates are available at www.ArtsinTheHeartOf Augusta.com. Follow the Festival on Facebook and Instagram for more details on performers, artists and news announcements. Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival was named the Top Festival of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2020.