STATESBORO —Georgia Southern University’s Sweetheart Circle will come alive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday as an estimated 5,000 people celebrate visual and performing art at the 32nd annual ArtsFest.
This free festival, hosted by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern, allows the community to become artists at various ArtStops while enjoying performances, food and the local Artist Market.
“ArtsFest is way more than just an arts festival, it is a wonderful way to meet others in the community while learning to truly appreciate both visual and performing arts,” said Lauren Mullins, public relations intern for ArtsFest.  
This year, ArtsFest invites patrons to watch an igniting display as headline performers, Balefire, bring the magic of fire dancing from Atlanta. Gather around the community stage and rock out with the rising stars of Pladd Dot Music’s School of Rock and watch Georgia Southern’s Mischief Makers in their performances of trickery.
Creative juices will flow through Sweetheart Circle as festivalgoers create their own artwork at 30 different ArtStops. With more community and organizational involvement this year than ever before, several new ArtStops will be presented alongside community favorites.
ArtStops allow participants to explore types, techniques and media of art while learning about various subject matters. Patrons can paint, sculpt, measure a fish, fractalize art, create paper flowers, tie-dye an ArtsFest T-shirt, graph sound waves, learn to dance and much more.
Guests can also grab something to eat and admire one-of-a-kind artwork made by local artisans in the Artist Market.
“Not only is ArtsFest quite possibly the largest public service event Georgia Southern offers, it provides a platform for our budding performers to build confidence in a social setting and for young artists to exemplify problem-solving skills by offering multiple perspectives through creative thinking,” said ArtsFest Director Stephanie Arends Neal.
ArtsFest is a nonprofit event made possible by community and student volunteers. ArtsFest ’14 is supported in part by Georgia Southern University’s Campus Life Enrichment Committee, Averitt Center for the Arts, Campus Evolution Villages, Pizza Hut and Walmart.
For a complete list of supporters and festival guide visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/ArtsFest.