By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
Randy and Jo Timms have organized a Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival on the East Troy village square for May 5.
The public is invited to visit the square from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and watch are students create pieces of art with nothing more than chalk and a slab of sidewalk.
“Jo and I have seen a little of this around the country as I’ve traveled in my job and we thought, ‘Why can’t we do this here? Why can’t we just create a fun, new festival for the village,” Randy Timms said.
The event is also being sponsored by several local businesses, including: Gus’s Drive-In, James R. Taylor and Sons, First Citizens State Bank, East Troy Shell, Ivan’s and East Troy House, Citizens Bank and Martin’s Hardware-Rental and Pet.
“We just ran with the idea and we’ve had wonderful support from the businesses in town and the school district,” Randy Timms said.
About 60 middle and high schoolers from the East Troy Community School District and St. Paul’s Lutheran School will participate in the festival next week Thursday. Timms said there will be two groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
“The reason we’re having it on a Thursday is because we wanted to make sure we had participants and having in on a school day where the district is treating it like a field trip, guarantees that,” Randy Timms said.
“Our ultimate goal is to open the festival up to the public and have it on a Saturday or Sunday. We’re hoping the community will want to support the children this year and maybe next year we can expand the event,” he continued. “We’re trying to launch a new festival and we need the support to grow this into something bigger and better down the road.”
Timms said there is a rain date of March 12 planned in case of inclement weather.
“If the weather is dry, my hope is to leave the drawing on the sidewalk over the weekend and then if Mother Nature doesn’t wash them off, I will,” he said.
For more information, email rtimms1@centurylink.net.
