Back to the Blacktop: Oak Ridge’s Street Painting Festival returns this Saturday

The annual Oak Ridge Street Painting Festival will be all day Saturday in Historic Jackson Square, benefiting Roane State Community College students.

Beginning at 8 a.m., dozens of artists equipped with chalk and creativity will bring colorful works of art to life on sidewalk squares. Free chalk and supplies are provided, and a panel of judges will award prizes. Bonus prizes will also be awarded to artists inspired by this year’s theme, according to a news release.

The festival is organized by the Rotary Club of Oak Ridge and Roane State Foundation. The theme this year is “Imagine Rotary” and asks artists and attendees to “imagine the possibilities in the change we can make to transform the world in areas such as peace, education, environment, health, economic development, and disease eradication.”

With the goal of an educated workforce bringing businesses to the region, the festival in the past 22 years has awarded more than 100 scholarships totaling over $200,000.

Due to spacing restrictions, the festival caps artist participation at 75. 

For more information or to register for the Street Painting Festival, go to www.roanestate.edu/streetpaintingfestival.