Organizers say Washougal Arts Festival may still happen in August

Washougal Arts Festival organizers are continuing to accept artist applications with the hope that this year’s event can proceed as planned.

Washougal Arts & Cultural Alliance (WACA) leaders acknowledged that the stay-at-home orders and social distancing restrictions, implemented in March in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, would have to be lifted for the festival, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8, at Reflection Plaza in downtown Washougal, to occur.

They will make a final decision about the festival’s status on June 15.

“We will look to our local and state authorities for direction on whether the event will be possible,” WACA president Kelli Rule stated in a news release. “In the meantime, we want to be prepared to move forward just in case it is deemed safe to resume this type of activity in early August.”

The event is open to visual artists working in all media and is intended for professional artists who are actively producing and exhibiting their work to sell.

WACA leaders are accepting artist applications through Friday, May 1. Festival and entry information is available at washogualarts.org.

“Festival artists will be selected by May 31, but will not be charged a vendor fee until we get the green light to hold the event,” Rule stated. “If it is still not safe to gather in groups, we will come up with another way to help promote these selected artists and connect them with the regional community of art lovers.”