CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The City of Charleston is becoming a work of art for five days.

The 21st Annual FestivALL got underway on Wednesday and will host various art, theater, dance, and music events around the city until Sunday, June 1.

Interim FestivALL CEO Brittany Javins said this is a slightly scaled back year for the longstanding festival with a return to the basics. 

“It’s the 21st year and this year is a little different, we’re kind of saying we’re going back to basics, it’s a little bit of FestivALL classic, so we’re really focused on some of the events that have been longstanding over the 21 years,” Javins said.

Two of those longstanding, flagship events will include the Capitol Street Art Fair and the Children’s Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday.

Javins said those events have been a part of FestivALL since the very beginning.

She said the Capitol Street Art Fair will get underway at 10 a.m. Saturday and will feature 60 different artisans across a variety of different mediums set up along Capitol Street between Quarrier and Lee streets.

Javins said the Children’s Art Fair will be centered at the Kanawha County Public Library on Capitol Street starting at 10 a.m. Saturday as well. She said it will feature art vendors as well as make-and-take arts and crafts activities.

She added that both events will also feature various entertainment including musicians and street performers throughout the events.

Another longstanding event, the Carriage Trail Walk will take place on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sunrise Carriage Trail.

Javins said they will also be bringing back their Three Things live speaker series which actually kicks off Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Capitol Market.

She said anyone looking to participate in any of these events can easily access a schedule listing the dates and times of each.

“Everything on the schedule is on FestivALLCharleston.com, and you can find a print schedule downtown at any locations, including Taylor Books, the Clay Center, and at any of our events coming this weekend,” she said.

Other notable FestivALL events this year include the Charlie West Music Fest at the University of Charleston Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.., and the ‘Attack’ Theatre Performance with the Charleston Office of Public Art, which is an ongoing event.

FestivALL partners with over 90 arts and community organizations as well as hundreds of local, regional, national, and even international artists.

Javins said they couldn’t put something like this together without all of the support.

“We’re so grateful for the support that we’ve had from the community throughout the years, the City of Charleston has been a huge supporter, in addition to many funders, volunteers, and artists,” she said.

Javins said they are also grateful for how much the community has truly embraced this event over the years and helped shape all that FestivALL has become.

“You know, I think when FestivALL started, people were really craving this type of multi-arts activity, and now, there’s so much going on in Charleston, and I think FestivALL continues to be this kind of unique entity that brings in things we might not normally see here in Charleston.”