By Vince Meehan
A new monthly artwalk in Hillcrest will make its debut Thursday, April 1 in Mural Alley, a newly repurposed public space in the 500 block of University Avenue just south of the Hillcrest neon sign. The event will be the first of many artwalks produced by the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) and will take place on the first Thursday of each month.
Kania Hayes is Event Coordinator at HBA and is excited about the debut artwalk. “The event is called Walk in A.R.T., which stands for walk in allyship, resilience and truth,” Hayes said. “It’s a new monthly Hillcrest artwalk event that takes place in Mural Alley which is located between fourth and fifth avenues off University. Not only are we going to have an art market inside Mural Alley – which is a new activated space in Hillcrest – but we are going to also have different featured events at businesses surrounding the alley.”
These events include a psychic reading at Cigar Cave, and a paint and sip at Cocina Calavera; new vegan Mexican restaurant in Hillcrest. Other businesses participating in the events are The Studio Door, the Village Hat Shop and Buffalo Exchange. Massachusetts Mike’s Pizzeria will have a patio right off the alley with pizza slices and beer, and Reed’s Ginger Beer will offer free sodas to all attendees. Adult beverages will be available at Crest Café and Chocalat Hillcrest.
Art lovers can expect a night of art as well as food from five vendors and live music performances. An interactive digital event map will be available for mobile devices, accessed by a QR code or website link.
Benjamin Nichols is Executive Director at HBA and sees this event as a first step in returning to a sense of normalcy after the precautions of 2020. “This is an exciting way for neighborhood folks safely return to neighborhood events. Just like our Farmers Market, this will be a safe, fun, and genuine connection to our community.”
The event takes place from 5-11 p.m. For more information go to: https://www.fabuloushillcrest.com/first-thursday-art-night.
