Shippensburg Arts Programming & Education (SHAPE) will kick off summer on a hot notewith its 12^th annual Summer Solstice Art Festival tomorrow, June 17. Music, art, food and fun will take over Shippensburg Township Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. as locals come together to celebrate the change of season in a creative fashion.

According to SHAPE, its Solstice Arts Festival originated as an event to celebrate the fine arts and give all artists a chance to let their unique talents be on display for the public. The framework of the original SHAPE Solstice Arts Festival can still be seen over a decade later in the festival’s willingness to expand and allow more artists the opportunity to share their works.

To drive artistic creativity among community members of all ages, SHAPE’s art festival will welcome a variety of artists and activities with over 30 local and regional vendors — which is the most participants that the festival has ever had.

“The focus of the festival has always been on the fine arts,” festival coordinator Michael Shawn Richardson said in a SHAPE press release. “Each year more artists find their way to this growing festival to display, sell, and demonstrate their art.”

The medium of fine arts available for individuals to view and purchase will include pottery, glass blowing, fiber arts, painting, photography, jewel crafting and sculpture.

There will also be an arts and crafts tent that will allow children to be hands-on in creating their own works of art to take home with them. The children’s area will feature face paintings done by local artists and the returning Art Wall that will allow individuals of all ages and skill levels to leave their artistic mark by painting a portion of the wall.

Aside from fine arts and children’s crafts, unannounced local singers and interpretive dancers will be performing on the amphitheater stage throughout the day.

Entrance into the Solstice Arts Festival and all-day parking is free to the public.

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