Moms Pick Their Own Presents at ArtsQuest 2012

The picture-perfect town of Seaside, Florida, is the setting for the 24th annual ArtsQuest. Started in 1989 as the Grayton Beach Fine Arts Festival, ArtsQuest has evolved into a juried event that regularly attracts around 5,000 visitors.

More than 130 artists, producing works in categories ranging from ceramics to photography, will participate in ArtsQuest 2012. In addition to the art show, there will be plenty of activities for all ages — art demonstrations, workshops, storytelling, and interactive projects, to name a few.

Live music daily will include Songs on the Lawn, an outdoor concert at Ruskin Park featuring Michelle Malone and David Ryan Harris. Proceeds from this ticketed event, which takes place Friday, May 11, go to the Cultural Arts Alliance, which produces ArtsQuest.

The festival will kick off on the evening of Wednesday, May 9, with Back to Grayton Beach, a gathering of friends of the event at the Hibiscus Café in Grayton Beach. The action continues through the weekend, rain or shine.

ArtsQuest has become a Mother’s Day tradition along Highway 30-A. A lot of festival-goers believe there’s no better way to entertain Mom — and let her pick out her own piece of original artwork as a present.

For more information about ArtsQuest, visit www.ArtsQuestFlorida.com or call 850-622-5970. ArtsQuest is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArtsQuestArtsandMusicFestival.

Aside from ArtsQuest, Seaside is worth a visit on its own. Even though it’s a relatively new planned community, its picket fences, pastel cottages, and quaint businesses give visitors authentic glimpses of what life must have been like in Old Florida.

For places to stay in Seaside, Grayton Beach, and the other beach communities along Highway 30-A, check out the listings right here at BeachGuide.com for Highway 30-A condo rentals and Highway 30-A beach homes. For restaurants and other things to do, click on Things to do on Highway 30-A and Highway 30-A restaurants.