Inaugural Shelton Art Walk Saturday

The inaugural Shelton Art Walk will feature more than 80 vendors and artists, live music and crafts from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday in downtown Shelton.

The event hosted by the City of Shelton, the Creative District Committee and the Shelton Downtown Merchants is designed to commemorate the effort to establish the Downtown Shelton Creative District, and organizers hope to make it an annual event. An outdoor Evening Market on Cota Street will include artists, crafters and food trucks.

The city has been sprucing up Cota Street as the event approaches. The improvements on West Cota Street between First and Sixth streets include the installation of four new overhead lights, catenary lighting across the street on the 100 and 200 blocks and new angled parking with American with Disabilities Act-compliant stalls. Planter boxes 18 inches tall will contain drought-tolerant street trees.

A “visioning” study funded by the city in 2015 envisioned an arts district on West Cota Street. At a Shelton City Council study session June 11, Jae Hill, the city’s community and economic development director, said the benefits of a creative district with possible financial help from the Washington State Arts Commission include promoting the community’s creative identity, growing jobs in the private sector, increasing tourism, attracting artists, startups and creative businesses, and creating opportunities for affordable housing that might make spaces for artists.

For more information on the event, go to http://www.sheltonartwalk.com.