Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival

Ok, in case you've been living under a rock for the last 47 years or so, there's this sidewalk art festival over in Winter Park every spring. And, it's sort of a tradition for me to take my mom. We have it down to a science.

First off, you don't go til Sunday. Let the early-birds feel like they're getting one up on you on Friday, and let the gobs and gobs of people on Saturday do their thing. By Sunday, all the ribbons and awards have been distributed and displayed, and the crowds are significantly thinner. So, you can easily spot the prize winners and gravitate in their direction.

Secondly, make sure you go first thing in the morning. That cuts out most of the church crowd, but it also guarantees you a better parking space. Plus, you can avoid the heat of the day. By 11am, the Florida sun is usually more than I want to endure. And, by some odd coincidence, that's when attendance shoots-up.

Thirdly, don't miss the tents on the west side of the railroad tracks. That's where they display the works of local school kids. A lot of times, they're better than the "professional" artists.

Finally, remember to buy either a poster or a t-shirt. Personally, I'm all about the posters. Some years are better than others, but they almost always end up being collectors' items.

Too late to heed this advice for 2006, but it's never too late to start planning for '07. And, for practice, Winter Park has a fall art festival in the same general vicinity. Think it's October sometime. But, that's getting ahead of myself.

Oh, yeah. Go Gators! More on March Madness later.