Gastonia to hold downtown arts festival

Kara Fohner, The Gaston Gazette
·2 min read

For the second year in a row, Gastonia will hold an arts festival downtown that features a wide variety of artists and musicians.

Performers dance at Gastonia Multicultural Arts Xperience in 2022.
Performers dance at Gastonia Multicultural Arts Xperience in 2022.

How did it start?

The festival, Gaston Multicultural Art Xperience, was initially the brainchild of Dandria Bradley, who is currently the deputy communications director for Gaston County. In 2018, Bradley worked at the Gaston County Public Library, and she pitched the idea of holding a cultural arts festival. She later connected with Christine Ingle, the event planner for the city of Gastonia, and learned that Gastonia Mayor Walker Reid wanted to have a multicultural festival.

"Instead of having two festivals, we decided to combine them," Bradley said.

The city and the county, along with the Friends of the Gaston County Public Library, decided to partner to hold the event.

The festival was initially planned for March 2020, but because of the pandemic, it was canceled. It was held for the first time in person in 2022.

When is it?

Bradley described the festival, which will be held Saturday, March 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rotary Pavilion, as an "arts experience."

"It simply means they're going to be performances, there are going to be artists, there are going to be authors. It's a festival that celebrates the cultural arts in Gaston County, because we have so many people that live here and that are from here," Bradley said.

What can I expect?

There will be food trucks on site, and Cavendish Brewing Company and Durty Bull Brewing Company will be serving beer, Ingle said. 

There will be food trucks on site, and Cavendish Brewing Company and Durty Bull Brewing Company will be serving beer, Ingle said.

There will also be around 36 vendors -- artists, authors, people who make soap and candles, as well as information booths featuring local organizations, as well as the city and county.

"So we'll definitely have a great marketplace for people to not only shop but get great information about what is going on in organizations in our county," Ingle said.

There will be crafting activities, like origami, for people to do and take home, as well as a variety of inflatables for children to play on. There will also be a mime and a strolling magician present.

Gastonia MAX will feature more than 30 vendors, including many artists and craftspeople.
Gastonia MAX will feature more than 30 vendors, including many artists and craftspeople.

Who will perform?

In addition to the vendors, several different local artists will perform.

JxHines, a Charlotte-area artist who performs a combination of R&B and hip-hop, will perform at 11 a.m.

Garrett Huffman, a country singer from Gaston County, will perform at noon.

The Giftt, a Gastonia blues guitarist, will perform at 1 p.m.

Furia Tropikal, a Gaston County-based Latinx group, will perform at 2 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia to hold downtown arts festival