New Grimes art show in Cd'A
<p>Tom Quin enjoys some ice cream and the works of local artist Kyle Paliotto on the Green's opening day at North Idaho College.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - A feast of outdoor festivals is taking place this weekend in downtown Coeur d'Alene - Art on the Green, Taste of Coeur d'Alene and the Downtown Street Fair.
Art on the Green is returning for its 45th year to the North Idaho College campus.
Held at the old Fort Sherman Grounds, organizers describe the festival as a "marketplace, performance space and gathering place for friends and families."
The event features more than 135 visual artists, and offers opportunities to purchase a variety of artisan-crafted works in glass, clay, leather, wood, metal and fiber.
Dozens of different types of performance artists are scheduled to entertain the crowds throughout the three-day event. Musical genres represented include classical, jazz, folk, pop, Celtic, klezmer, contemporary and big band swing.
Vendors and volunteers will be offering a wide selection of foods all weekend long.
Art on the Green is sponsored and organized by the nonprofit Citizens' Council for the Arts.
The event is put on by the community each year, with 500 to 600 volunteers working to make it happen. Nearly all the funds raised go back into the community to support the arts throughout the year.
Meanwhile, a food festival will be going on in City Park. Taste of Coeur d'Alene is sponsored and organized by Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis.
It offers food, drink and music, and it's all al fresco by Lake Coeur d'Alene.
The Downtown Street Fair will be going on today, Saturday and Sunday also.
The fair, hosted by the Downtown Association, runs from Seventh Street and Sherman Avenue to the intersection of Lakeside Avenue and Northwest Boulevard.
Festival-goers can meander over from NIC and City Park to explore the wares offered by 250 vendors in the open-air marketplace.
"We'll have two free shuttle buses that will go between the street fair, Taste of Coeur d'Alene and Art on the Green," said Terry Cooper, manager of the Downtown Association.
Street fair hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.