More than 350 local and regional artists and vendors, 20 musical acts and thousands of residents and tourists took over Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray last Saturday for Art on the Avenue, which over the years has become the premier arts festival in the city.

Sponsored by local residents and businesses, the 2009 festival marks its 14th year in existence, still continuing to grow since its inception. This year, Art on the Avenue stretched 10 blocks.
Artists from the area displayed at least a smattering of every art form from fabric art to furniture, from painting to pottery, from metal works to glass fusion along the neighborhoods main corridor, producing a seemingly endless crowd of wandering, with browsing art lovers pondering a purchase.

The scene was punctured every few feet with scents from local restaurants like Asian Grille and Bombay Curry, while smoky clouds rose over the crowd from the tents of Pork Barrel BBQ and Rocklands BBQ.

There was no shortage of interactive activities for kids, either, as budding artists expressed their ability with finger-painting, craft-building, coloring and other creative happenings organized by city departments and community organizations.

The festival was a stage for local and regional musicians as well, who provided the soundtrack with an array of sounds representing a diversity of cultures and genres, from Latin music to gospel, to jazz, bluegrass and classic rock.