Throughout the year, festival goers flock to the northshore for its unique blend of events featuring a variety of arts and entertainment. The biggest draw in the fall is the Three Rivers Art Festival in Covington, a juried show featuring more than 150 artists from around the country. In its seven-year history, the festival has won two major awards, the Louisiana Main Street Award in 1998 and Sunshine Artist Magazine’s 200 Best Fine Art Shows in 2000.

On November 15 and 16, artisans will line Columbia Street in downtown Covington with white tents filled with a broad and captivating range of media, including paintings, glass, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ironwork, pottery, jewelry, textiles and furniture. All items are original and handcrafted by the artists, who will be on site to exhibit and sell their work.

Free to the public, the festival offers many attractions, including the Arts Alive! Stage where visitors can watch art in the making. Haik Park in the 300 block of North Columbia will be the scene of the Main Stage for musical entertainment by local performers. The Children’s Discovery Area near City Hall will host a continuous program of exciting educational activities for kids of all ages.

A Covington tradition established in 1997, the Three Rivers Art Festival has blossomed into an important arts event for the northshore. Says Joanne Gallinghouse, president of the festival’s board of directors, “As Covington evolved through the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, art became part of its identity. That’s why we’re so glad to be able to hold an event like this to celebrate something that is such a quintessential part of the town’s character.”

The Three Rivers Art Festival has proven to be good not just for Covington, but for the entire northshore. Last year’s event brought nearly 30,000 visitors to the area. According to Gallinghouse, the arts generate more than $18 million annually in parish-wide economic activity.

The festival also offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to shop Covington’s well-known art galleries, antique shops and specialty stores and dine at some of the northshore’s finest restaurants. For additional information, visit ThreeRiversArtFestival.com or call Maria Burkhardt, event coordinator, at 727-2699.

Copyright 2003, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.