Por Christy Scannell
Editor SDUN

The North Park Festival of the Arts – an event that has grown in 14 years from a simple karaoke contest to a regional attraction drawing 30,000 people – will be Sunday, May 16, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Centered at University Avenue and 30th Street, the art, music and food fair will sprawl throughout the North Park business district, offering six stages of live entertainment, exhibits and demonstrations, hands-on art activities, a food court, a beer garden and more than 100 specialty booths.

“North Park is still an area of San Diego that many people don’t visit on a regular basis,” said Elizabeth Studebaker, executive director of North Park Main Street, which organizes the event. “Every year people come for the festival who haven’t been here in a while and they say how much North Park has changed and how amazing it is.”

That impression is just what Studebaker’s business improvement district members hope to produce.

“This festival isn’t just to showcase local talent, it’s to showcase the community,” she said.

New this year to the festival – and the event’s only ticketed area – is the Craft Beer Block on Ohio Street just north of University, where 17 local breweries and 10 restaurants will offer tastings. Splash and Mosaic wine bars will also be on hand with wine samples. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

Another added feature for 2010’s festival is a free bicycle valet on Iowa Street north of University Avenue staffed by Velo Cult, a South Park bicycle shop, and the San Diego Bicycle Coalition. Bikers can exchange their cycles for a wristband that will be required to retrieve their bikes.

“We hope people not only ride their bike to this but also think about riding to the coffee shop and the grocery store,” said Sky Boyer, owner of Velo Cult. “Not only does it save money but it makes everyone healthier and happier.”

The North Park parking garage, which has 377 spaces, will also be free that day.

No matter how they arrive, participants will find a range of activities that are “as diverse as North Park is,” Studebaker said.

“The arts component is getting stronger and stronger,” she said, explaining that the juried artists area has grown from 12 artists in 2009 to 20 this year. The San Diego Art Department judges the work and awards cash prizes for best-in-show and several other categories.

For those who prefer more spontaneous creativity, Ray Street Arts will offer a plein art quick-paint competition with check-in at 9:30 a.m. Participants will be permitted two hours to paint anything of their choosing within walking distance. The paintings will be judged and then available for purchase.

Ray Street Arts will also have exhibitions of oil painting, metalwork, pastels and other arts, plus an architectural demonstration and a chalk art mural.

Rare Hair Studios, Young Audiences of San Diego, Outside the Lens and McKinley Elementary School volunteers will guide youngsters in art projects at the Kids’ Art Beat area. Interactive instruction in origami, recycled arts, multimedia and photography are some of the activities that will be available.

Six themed stages – including one just for dance performances – will offer rotating live music throughout the day. The Drowsy Maggie’s stage at 31st Street and University Avenue will be inside the beer garden, while the Beats and Eats stage will entertain diners near the festival’s food court. Other stages will feature local groups, indie rock bands and world music.

Vendors selling artwork will include the North Park Craft Mafia, a group of independent women artists who produce handmade goods such as jewelry, clothing and gift items. Others in the Artists Village will sell paintings, sculptures and crafts.

Studebaker said the event typically nets about $10,000 for the district but that the revenue could vary this year due to costs for adding a sixth entertainment stage and the unknown receipts from the new Beer Block and beer garden.

For more information about the festival and a map, go to northparkfestivalofarts.com.