The streets of downtown Saluda will be filled with art and art lovers Saturday, May 19 for the ninth annual Saluda Arts Festival, which will take place from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission to the festival and music is free, and the event will be held rain or shine.
Lining the streets will be booths of more than 80 fine artists and skilled craftspeople from all over western North Carolina and South Carolina – a record number for the festival.
“This is the most participation by local and regional artists ever,” said Susie Welsh, festival organizer.
Participants will exhibit and sell oil, watercolors, acrylic paintings and drawings, woodworking, photography, pottery, jewelry, sculptures, stained glass, metalworking and more.
In addition to browsing through the artwork, festival-goers will be able to watch live demonstrations of artists at work, and children can also get hands-on experience in creating works of art in the children’s art tent.

Music on stage
at McCreery Park Pavilion
Live music will be offered on stage at McCreery Park Pavilion starting at 11 a.m. Music is made available through a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation Saluda Fund.
One Leg Up
At 11 a.m., One Leg Up will take the stage. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, One Leg Up performs a mixture of upbeat gypsy jazz, latin, swing and original jazz compositions and is a favorite of club, concert and festival stages throughout the southeastern United States. Visit www.onelegupjazz.com.
The Danberrys
The Danberrys will perform at 1 p.m. Drawing deep from the blues, folk, bluegrass and soul/funk traditions, the Danberrys deliver original tunes featuring strong harmonies. The group released its first EP, “Company Store,” in April 2010. It was followed by the single “Shady Grove” in June 2011. The band is currently recording several new songs for upcoming projects. For more information, visit www.thedanberrys.com.
The Honeycutters
The Honeycutters include singer/songwriter Amanda Anne Platt, lead guitarist and producer Peter James, Spencer Taylor on mandolin, Ian Harrod on bass and Richard Foulk on the drums. The group creates an original brand of Americana that has proved appealing to a wide variety of audiences. For more information, visit www.thehoneycutters.com.