The City of Ocala will kick off its Tuscawilla Art Park Series this weekend with a live chalk drawing competition featuring professional artists.
On Saturday, January 27, the OTrak Chalk Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Tuscawilla Art Park located at 213 NE 5th Street in Ocala.
This event is free and open to the public.
The theme for this year’s OTrak Chalk Walk competition is “O, The Places We’ll Go.” According to the city, this travel and transportation theme was inspired by the linear park system known as Osceola Trak, which connects the Art Park and Tuscawilla Park located to the north of downtown with the Ocala Downtown Market located to the south.
Attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite chalk art for the People’s Choice Award. Additionally, for a $10 fee (cash only), everyone is invited to create their own chalk art with provided supplies by the City of Ocala Cultural Arts division.
Community chalk drawing will be permitted in designated sidewalk areas within the art park only.
At 5:30 p.m. on the day of the event, the winners of the professional chalk art competition will be announced in the Art Park.
A cash prize, in the amount of $500, will be awarded to the artist who finishes in first place. The artist who finishes in second place and the People’s Choice Award winner will both receive $250.
In addition to the competition, there will be live musical performances throughout the day by Mike Abbott, The Mudds, Ecliff, Fareeza, and Becky Baby on the Tuscawilla Art Park stage. There will also be local artisans, craftsmen, and nonprofits on site, along with food and refreshments available for purchase from local food trucks.
In the event of inclement weather, the OTrak Chalk Walk will be postponed until Saturday, February 3.
For more information, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts via phone (352-629-8447) or email (artinfo@ocalafl.gov); or visit the City of Ocala’s Tuscawilla Art Park Series website.