Each spring, thousands of tulips take over downtown Albany. The appearance of the flowers mark the beginning of spring in the city and have a way of bringing a feeling of renewal to Albany each year.
The concept of renewal can have a number of meanings, and for a group of youth from the Equinox Outreach Center, the word brings to mind a multitude of ideas. On Thursday, April 25, the teens and young adults began to turn the sidewalks of Central Avenue into a canvass, each using chalk to create what renewal means to them.
Molly Belmont from the Central Avenue Business Improvement District (Central Avenue BID) said it was interesting to see the different interpretations of the concept of renewal.
“Everything from water, a nature scene with water dripping down and flowers to a recycling mural piece, to this kind of cool video game look with a maze inside,” said Belmont, describing the scenes that developed.
The chalk creations were a practice run for an event coming to Central Avenue on Saturday, May 11, coinciding with Albany’s Tulip Fest, called “Drawing Up Central.”
“We are always interested in bringing visitors to our district, and Tulip Fest is an excellent opportunity,” said Belmont.
Belmont said the folks at Central BID and Equinox put their heads together and came up with the idea of a sidewalk chalk contest.
“It’s something that has been done elsewhere and really well received,” said Belmont. “There are artists who do sidewalk chalk art, but it’s also something families can do.”
Registered to participate in the contest are artists who have won similar contests in the past along with local youth and families.
A number of squares have been chosen along Central Avenue from Henry Johnson Boulevard to Lexington Avenue. Each artist will be assigned a 3-by-5-foot square. The creations will be judged and prizes will be awarded for the best youth and the best adult creation.
Belmont said a grant from the Albany County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has enabled them to give out a cash prize of $500 to the adult winner. The youth winner will receive an iPod Nano and gift certificates from local businesses.
“Another category as a way to open it up more to community participation is a Central’s Choice Award which is kind of like a People’s Choice Award,” said Belmont.
Visitors will have a chance to cast a ballot for their favorite creation. The winner of the Central’s Choice Award will receive gift certificates from area businesses.
Belmont said she hopes the event will raise awareness about what Central Avenue has to offer.
“Come and do your shopping, come eat great food we have 74 different restaurants from 19 different countries on Central Avenue a fact that I think people are not fully aware of,” she said. “We hope people will come out, maybe grab a bite to eat, maybe come into one of the businesses and see what they have to offer.”
Equinox and Central BID officials hope participation in “Drawing Up Central” will be buoyed by its partnership with Tulip Fest, which draws thousands to downtown Albany every May.
Jason Bonafide, the public relations coordinator for the City of Albany, said the chalk contest was a nice addition to Tulip Fest’s events.
“It’s within walking distance so we hope that everyone will check out both the sidewalk and Tulip Fest that day,” Bonafide said.
Tulip Fest activities begin on Friday with the tradition of scrubbing State Street.
“It goes back to very early festivals. It’s an old Dutch tradition where before a big event people would go out and clean the streets. We have people in Dutch garb and Boy Scouts scrubbing the streets with long-handled brooms and buckets of soapy water,” Bonafide said. “It’s a pretty interesting event if you haven’t seen it before.”
Although the tulips are the subject of the festival, the flowers serve as the backdrop for live music on different three stages, crafters, artists and a host of food vendors.
“We always have a great lineup of both national acclaimed artists as well as some great up-and-coming local groups. This year on our amphitheater stage I believe we have 10 of the best local artists in the area right now. We have a headliner on Saturday – the Silversun Pickups who are a Grammy-nominated alternative rock band from Los Angeles.”
For those who truly go to the festival to see the tulips, Bonafide said the city gardener, Jessica Morgan, assures everything is right on track for perfect blooms.
“Whatever people are into, whether it’s the live music or the traditional events like the Tulip Queen Coronation, there is really a lot for everyone,” Bonafide said.
The 65th annual Albany Tulip Festival will take place Saturday, May 11, and Sunday May 12, in Washington Park. Visit albanyevents.org for a complete schedule of events.
“Drawing Up Central” will take place on Saturday, May 11, on Lower Central Avenue between Henry Johnson Boulevard and Lexington Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Artists should arrive by 9 a.m. and check in at 95 Central Ave. Free parking is available at 112 Central Ave. Contest results will be announced at 2:30 p.m. For more information or to register, visit centralbid.com/sidewalk-art-2013 or call 462-4300.