by Brindley Lowe and Bill Powell –
Arts in the Middle (AIM) Juried Fine Arts Festival returns to beautiful Hewick Plantation this Saturday and Sunday, June 5 and 6. Revered as The Best Art Event in eastern Virginia by Virginia Living magazine’s 2019 Best of Virginia, it is an annual destination place for lovers of art as well as outstanding outdoor events. The seventh edition of the yearly arts extravaganza returns, after a 2020 COVID-19 prompted hiatus, this year to provide a variety of fine visual, performing, and culinary arts for families, visitors, and the community to enjoy. Its Hewick Plantation location is at 5123 Old Virginia St. just outside Urbanna.
The popular outdoor festival features juried visual artists from up and down the East Coast and beyond, plus separate local and student artists galleries. Two stages offer an array of outstanding musicians including musical headliner Jeff Little and his trio of the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. Local culinary artist Adam Ginsberg from Souperchefg’s Homemade Soups and Private Chef Services will offer breakfast and lunch, and the Writers’ Tent will feature readings by local writers.
Admission to the festival, along with parking, is free, and the event will be running Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visitors will find signage along area roads directing them to the parking area, where they will be assisted and directed by members of the Kiwanis Club.
The decision to host the festival in 2021 was carefully made by the Arts in the Middle Board of Directors with a commitment to following COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Virginia Department of Health.
