The Greater Augusta Arts Council (GAAC) announced details for the 2024 Arts in the Heart (AITH) Festival and to longtime cultural supporters, the venue may look familiar.
It will be held September 20 through 22. Centered on Telfair Street, it will also encompass part of Greene Street, the Old Medical College, old Richmond Academy, and the Municipal Building parking lot.
This location marks the festival’s return to its earliest roots from the 1980’s. Rhian Swain of RedWolf Advertising oversees the promotion of the event. She told ABD the larger “footprint” will allow for additional booths.
A news release posted on the GAAC website, Brenda Durant, Executive Director of the Arts Council said, “We are excited to return to our roots. Knowing we had to move off Broad Street to accommodate the TIA projects, we searched the city for a suitable replacement. Securing the whole Municipal Building campus and the historic buildings and Parade Ground across the street could not have been a better fit. We are looking forward to our new digs as we expand the festival to fill our new space.”
Since its beginnings in the mid-1980’s, the festival has kept the focus on art, music, food, and family fun. However, it is also responsible for an ever-growing boost to the Augusta area economy.
In 2023, the event was recognized by Destination Augusta as an “Augusta Champion” for its financial impact. The 2021 ArtCity Festival, a scaled-down version because of the pandemic, and the more traditional event in 2022, pumped a combined $4 million into the economy.
Most recent number from Destination Augusta shows direct visitor spending for the 2022 and 2023 festivals topped $5.2 million. During those two years, more than 200,000 attended the festival.
At the May 23 celebration marking the fifth anniversary of Augusta & Co., the storefront on Broad Street that serves as a welcome center, visitor information center, and shop for unique products, Bennish Brown, President and CEO of Destination Augusta, laid out the magnitude of the arts, hospitality, and tourism communities’ economic impact.
“The hospitality and travel industry here is definitely impactful and we can stand behind that statement,” he said. “It’s the fourth largest employment sector in the Augusta River Region, keeping more than 26,000 people earning a living and excelling in a career and many of us here are under that umbrella. Visitor spending generates more than $800 million in our county. And it brings a domino effect of approximately $800 in tax savings for every household in Augusta-Richmond County.”
AITH 2024 will feature more than 150 juried fine arts and crafts artists, a large family area with interactive children’s activities, street performers, and the popular global food village with cuisine from around the world, including Italy, Sudan, Thailand, and Latin America.
There will be five stages offering musical performances. Highlights this year will include alt-rock band, Fastball and jazz sensation, Georgia Muldrow.
Advance sale tickets are $15 this year and will be available online beginning in July. Tickets at the gate will be $20. Admission is free for children 10 and under.
Check the festival website www.artsintheheartofaugusta.com and social media for updates.
