Stafford County’s fourth annual Via Colori will return the weekend of Sept. 28-29, 2024. The annual street painting festival is a free family-friendly event where artists create large-scale chalk drawings, attracting thousands of spectators each year. while food, vendors, and live music add more activity.
Discover Stafford, formerly known as the Stafford County Museum & Cultural Center, established Via Colori Stafford, an annual signature fundraising event. Funds raised through sponsorships of Via Colori Stafford go back to the county through the Museum and local efforts of the Rotary Club of North Stafford and the Rotary Club of Stafford.
Stafford County Public Schools has been selected as the 2024 beneficiary. The funds raised will support Stafford in Action Week, a community initiative to provide nutritious meals to students, culminating at Via Colori. This initiative aims to ensure all students have the resources needed to succeed academically.
Artists can sign up online to participate in the chalk drawing; artists can pick up their materials at an Artists’ Reception on Friday, Sept. 27.
The event will take place at the Stafford Regional Airport, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Press Release: “Due to expected inclement weather, the 3rd annual Via Colori® Stafford has been condensed to a one-day event on Sunday, September 24, 2023, with hours extended to 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.”
“The Discover Stafford Museum & Cultural Center and Rotary clubs of North Stafford and Stafford are to announce the 3rd annual Via Colori® Stafford. Held this year at the Stafford Regional Airport, Via Colori is a free all-ages event.”
“Presenting Sponsor B101.5, Platinum Sponsor Stafford Printing, and other sponsors support this modern-day version of a centuries-old tradition in which volunteer artists create large-scale pastel artworks directly on the pavement.”
“There will be live entertainment, nonprofit vendors, food vendors, and a children’s activity area. Each artist square is sponsored by a business, organization or family with event proceeds benefiting Discover Stafford and Rotary projects in our community. This year’s event will support educational, cultural, and leadership initiatives in Stafford County Public Schools.”
“Additional festival art and information can be found at vcstafford.com or facebook.com/viacoloristafford.”
Stafford’s third annual Via Colori festival will be a weekend of family-friendly creativity and fun that celebrates artists and brings the community together. The Discover Stafford Museum and Cultural Club and the Rotary Clubs of Stafford and North Stafford host the event.
Via Colori was founded in 1994 in Naples, Florida, as a modern twist on a centuries-old tradition of street painting. Today, Stafford is one of only two communities holding Vias Colori, according to the founder.
The festival features dozens of artists who will create street art with chalk in allotted square spaces. Attendees can walk past each artist’s section periodically throughout the day to mark the progress of their favorite works. Kids of all ages can enjoy Via Bambini, a special team where they can try chalk drawing, and don’t miss out on live music from the Via Musica stage.
This year’s Featured Artist is Lizabeth Castellano-King, a New York native who primarily works in watercolors and digital art. She has participated in all three of Staffords’ Vias Colori and has been helping other artists learn how to work in chalk with a Via Tutori workshop.
The 2023 event also features Local Signature Artist Anna Chavez Naples, an art teacher and events coordinator for Adventure Brewing Co. Anna’s artworks are influenced by her Mexican and Norwegian heritage.
Proceeds from Via Colori go to Stafford County Public Schools’ cultural, educational, student leadership, and student aid projects. In the past, Via Colori funds have been used to commission murals in the schools, give out scholarships, hold a speech, essay and music contests, distribute school supplies, and hand out coats and hygiene supplies for students in need.
The funds are raised through Artist Square sponsorships.
Via Colori sponsors have their names displayed prominently above their Artists’ Square and benefit from the fact that people tend to revisit artists many times to check in on the progress of the work.
This year’s event will occur from Saturday, September 23, through Sunday, September 24, 2023, from 10:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Stafford Regional Airport. In addition to providing plenty of space for artworks, vendors, and entertainment, the airport has accessible parking and will provide restrooms.
This weekend, Stafford’s most colorful street festival returns.
Via Colori Stafford is a two-day event that will be held at the Stafford Courthouse Commuter Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25.
The event is now in its second year and is a street festival that invites artists to use chalk to create paintings on marked squares in the parking lot. Visitors will be able to walk around and watch them in action.
The event is a collaboration between the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center and the Rotary clubs of North Stafford and Stafford.
Artists are encouraged to register for the event on the Via Colori website and will be able to pick up their materials during an artists’ reception on Friday, September 23. There is no fee to register.
October 1 and 2 are the rain dates for the event. Organizers are also seeking sponsors, in addition to artists.
We’re halfway to Stafford’s most colorful street festival.
Via Colori Stafford is a two-day event that will be held at the Stafford Courthouse Commuter Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25.
The event is now in its second year and is a street festival that invites artists to use chalk to create paintings on marked squares in the parking lot. Visitors will be able to walk around and watch them in action.
The event is a collaboration between the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center and the Rotary clubs of North Stafford and Stafford.
Artists are encouraged to register for the event on the Via Colori website and will be able to pick up their materials during an artists’ reception on Friday, September 23. There is no fee to register.
October 1 and 2 are the rain dates for the event. Organizers are also seeking sponsors, in addition to artists.
In one month, Stafford County will light up with color.
Via Colori Stafford is a two-day event that will be held at the Stafford Courthouse Commuter Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25.
The event is now in its second year and is a street festival that invites artists to use chalk to create paintings on marked squares in the parking lot. Visitors will be able to walk around and watch them in action.
The event is a collaboration between the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center and the Rotary clubs of North Stafford and Stafford.
Artists are encouraged to register for the event on the Via Colori website and will be able to pick up their materials during an artists’ reception on Friday, September 23. There is no fee to register.
October 1 and 2 are the rain dates for the event. Organizers are also seeking sponsors, in addition to artists.
To all artists who use the sidewalk as their medium of choice, Stafford County wants you.
The Stafford County Economic Development and Tourism Board, the count’s Museum and Cultural Center, and the North Stafford and Stafford Rotary clubs are currently looking for artists to participate in the county’s first sidewalk art event known as Via Colori Stafford.
The groups are recruiting artists to participate in a Via Colori piece, where they will create a patchwork of different pastel murals to be drawn on the sidewalks. The art form is a modern version of a centuries-old tradition that can be traced back to 16th century Italy when artists would paint religious icons in the courtyards of cathedrals.
Artists will be given a square to paint in the commuter lot located off of Exit 140 in Stafford, where the public is invited to attend and watch the artists create their works.
Each square artist will be sponsored by a business, organization, or family with the proceeds, after expenses, to benefit the museum and various services in the region. The event is expected to have 100 artists from various arts organizations. So far, 40 have signed up for the event.
Stafford Economic and Tourism recently held an event in anticipation of Via Colori Stafford called Via Tutori for the artists that had already signed up, which gave them a primer on the art style by those experienced in the medium.
Via Colori Stafford will occur at the commuter lot off of Exit 140 in Stafford on Sept. 25 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information is available online.
