WINTER PARK, Fla. — The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival opened its doors Friday, after last year’s event was canceled during the pandemic.
The festival is in its 62nd year and it’s one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious outdoor art festivals.
READ: SeaWorld no longer requiring vaccinated guests to wear masks
The festival features a variety of fine arts and crafts including clay, digital art, graphics and printmaking, jewelry, photography and more.
Artists like Gillian Kemper are happy to be back. “We have friends here that live here, and over the years, patrons that have supported us,” Kemper said.
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This year, masks aren’t required at the festival for people who are fully vaccinated. This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday that vaccinated people no longer need to wear mask indoors and outdoors.
In Central Florida, Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld adjust their mask policies after the announcement.
READ: Universal Orlando to drop mask requirements for visitors while outdoors
Other companies like Walmart, Costco, Publix and Trader Joe’s changed their mask requirement following the announcement. Some big companies like Target and Starbucks say they will still require masks indoors.
READ: Publix to no longer require masks for fully vaccinated customers, employees
Festival organizer Wayne Osley believes the CDC’s announcement is helping to bring in more traffic.
“I think that that that may play into why we are going to have such a crazy big crowd this weekend,” Osley said.
READ: Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s lift mask restrictions for vaccinated customers
The festival runs from May 14 to May 16 in Central Park and along Park Avenue in Winter Park.
It will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Click here to learn more about the festival.
Editor’s note: Channel 9 is a sponsor of the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival.
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Cox Media Group
