Carl D. Jara

he festival is one of the year’s final outdoor events of its kind Downtown and it marks the perfect opportunity to check out a wide spectrum of local and regional artists representing just about every style. Come get some early holiday shopping done with artists who will come bearing one-of-a-kind creations for serious and casual art lovers alike. You might even be lucky enough to make your purchase more affordable.

This Friday through Sunday at Genoa Park, you can show your support for the arts — all while listening to live music and enjoying a beverage or two — at the Riverfront Arts Festival.

Rocking The RiveR Come down to the Riverfront Arts Festival and you can also enjoy the most fire-ific art installation of all: WaterFire Columbus.

At 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, more than 30 mini-bonfires will light up the Scioto River. These will be the final two burns of WaterFire Columbus’ eighth season.

Supplying the sounds this weekend will be a nonstop lineup of bands performing on the Riverfront Stage presented by Panera Bread.

Leading the way are the Ladies of Longford, who on Friday night at 7:30 and 9 will bring their unique blend of traditional and contemporary Celtic

music. Joining the Ladies will be Joe Moriarty and Yulia Lukyanova, a pair of traditional Irish dancers with local roots.

Moriarty was just the second North American dancer to land the lead role in Riverdance, and toured with the company for 12 years. He has performed in venues ranging from Broadway to the

Kremlin. Lukyanova is currently performing with the Moscow Folk Ballet Company’s production of Riverdance.

Saturday night at 7:30 and 9, you can catch the Fabulous Johnson Brothers, a Columbus favorite.

Ladies of Longford

$10,000 ART giveAwAy Each hour, the Riverfront Arts Festival will give away $100 in free art to six winners selected from that hour’s registrants. The winners can then redeem these “Art Buck$” certificates with participating artists during the event.

All you have to do to win is enter at the festival — there will be plenty of signs directing you to the right place.

In addition to the juried artists coming to Genoa Park, the festival is also showcasing and celebrating local artists from central Ohio communities for the first time. As of press time, artists from Dublin, Hilliard and Upper Arlington are confirmed, so keep an eye out for participants from your neighborhood.

On hand throughout the weekend will be award-winning professional sand sculptor Carl D. Jara, who has won competitions from coast to coast, including a world championship in 2008. Stop by to see what his next creation will be.

Local cycling advocacy group YAY Bikes! is hosting a bike ride Saturday morning at 9 that will depart from the festival and make its way past a number of local arts institutions. For more information, visit yaybikes.com.

Additionally, Pedal Instead will have a bike corral available throughout the weekend for anybody planning on pedaling to the park.

RIVERFRONT STAGE presented bySCHEDULEFRIDAY, SEPT. 285-7 p.m. Happy Hour presented by Cox Catering7:30 p.m. Riverdance dancers with Ladies of Longford8:30 p.m. WaterFire Columbus9 p.m. Riverdance dancers with Ladies of Longford

SATURDAY, SEPT. 29Noon Vikki V/Grindhouse1 p.m. Maza Blaska2 p.m. The Girls!3 p.m. The Smoking Guns4 p.m. The Battle Plan5-7 p.m. Wine Stroll with Heidelberg Distributing5 p.m. Grassinine7:30 p.m. Fabulous Johnson Brothers8:30 p.m. WaterFire Columbus9 p.m. Fabulous Johnson Brothers

SUNDAY, SEPT. 30Noon-2 p.m. Sunday Brunch presented by Buckeye VodkaNoon Wonder Twin Powers1 p.m. Post Coma Network2 p.m. The Apes3 p.m. Forest & The Evergreens4 p.m. Evan Oberla Project

MEET THE ARTISTS Here are the artists scheduled to appear at the Riverfront Arts Festival, as well as the booths where you can find them:

2D Mixed Media — Elissa Brown (B23); Betsy Emrich (B12); John Ha (A1-2); Marirosa Hofmann (B4); Jamie Van Landuyt (B21).

3D Mixed Media — Michelle Chang (B17); Wayne Gao (B17); Barbara Lash (B9); Mary Miller (D3); Teresa Prince (A7); Paul Van Duyn (D5); Hilary Wiezbenski (A16).

Drawing & Pastels — Marjorie Bowers (B5).

Fiber — Donna Doersam (A21); Diane Perry (B6).

Glass — Judy Kean (A3); Angela McKee (B19).

Jewelry — Heidi Clous (A6); Matt Cole (B3); Barbara Colin (D4); Dave Davis (A22); Tahmi DeSchepper (B15); Suzanne Fideli-Krongold (A16); Nadine King (A18); Ruthie Lewis (B7); Courtney Loving (A10); Robert Marksz (A14); Jose Soto (C2); Youngjoo Yoo (B11); Diane Ziegler (B20).

Leather — Caroline Clarke (A12).

Metal — James Parker (A13).

Painting — Shannon Godby (B22); Britt Hallowell (B18); Paul Hofrenning (B6); Quinn Kellogg (A19); Georgie Lehoop (A11); Jonathon Romain (B1-2); Chelstin Ross (B16); Benjamin Schuh (A15); Glen Sung (C4); Luisa Velasquez (D1); David Yuan (A4).

Photography — John Granata (C3); Tiffany Kimmet (B14); Matt Kraskey (D2); Mark Marshall (A17); Ron Mellott (A23); Jimmy Ramsey (A5); Clyde Vermillion (B10).

Printmaking and Graphics — Leslie Peebles (A9).

Sculpture — Greg Dinauer (B13); Daniel Horne (A20); Ancizar Marin (C1).

Wood — Andrew Pauken (A8).

COME HUNGRy (AND THIRSTy) Whether you’re popping down to the Riverfront Arts Festival on Friday to relax after the workweek, or want to make a day of it Saturday or Sunday, there will be food and drinks waiting for you.

You can stop by one of the many food stations that will be on hand, and take a load off at a pair of bars that will have your favorite beverages, as well as TVs so you can catch the games.

The festival also has some special promotions on tap, including:

• Friday Happy Hour presented by Cox Catering Featuring $2 beer and $2 wine after work from 5-7 p.m.

• Saturday Art & Wine Stroll with Heidelberg Distributing For just $10, you can sample a different wine at each of five stations located throughout the festival from 5-7 p.m.

• Sunday Brunch presented by Buckeye Vodka From noon to 2 p.m., food vendors will have specially priced selections, and there will be $5 bloody marys and screwdrivers, too.

RIVERFRONT ARTS FESTIVAL SpOTLIGHT: Hilary Wiezbenski Bethel, Ohio • 3D Mixed Media “I’m a Cincinnati native now living in the country with my husband and two wonderful kids. After my oldest was born, I wanted a home-based business.

“So, inspired by my favorite artist, Salvador Dali, I started making melting wall clocks. I have been specializing in melting clocks since 2005 and I’m proud that my clocks are now in 26 different countries.

“If I’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that you never know what you may be doing in six months, so sit back and enjoy the ride.”

RIVERFRONT ARTS FESTIVAL SpOTLIGHT: Mark Marshall • Columbus, Ohio • Photography Marshall has been a photographer for more than 15 years and, while working as a training officer at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Training Academy, has been its “official” photographer.

His love of photography produces landscape, cityscape and fine-art images from his journeys around the world. Marshall’s work has won multiple awards, and he was recently accepted into the 36th Annual Arts and Crafts show at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

For more information, as well as any late-breaking updates, visit dispatchevents.com.