It all kicks off at 2 p.m. with an unveiling celebration that begins at the municipal parking lot on Cottage Street in Easthampton.
Back in 2009, the Easthampton Bear Fest brought thousands of visitors to Easthampton and raised over $60,000 for artists, art education and art organizations.
“People have been asking us, ‘Where are the bears?’” said Burns Maxey, coordinator, Easthampton City Arts (ECA+).
Now, the Easthampton Bear Fest – a public art project in which life-size bear sculptures are creatively transformed by locally- and nationally-known artists – is back beginning Saturday.
“Our first Bear Fest was extremely successful and went far beyond our expectations. It was a great way to engage artists, local businesses and the community in the arts, and helped to make Easthampton a destination for tourists that summer,” said Maxey.
It all kicks off at 2 p.m. with an unveiling celebration that begins at the municipal parking lot on Cottage Street in Easthampton, where Mayor Michael Tautznik and state Rep. John Scibak will officially announce the start of Bear Fest 2012.
Following their remarks, bear-seekers will be treated to a glimpse of one of 40 newly-created bears, and will be among the first to taste the Official Bear Fest Ice Cream flavor crafted by Mount Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream. The Expandable Brass Band will then lead onlookers in a sidewalk parade to the Easthampton Savings Bank lawn, where festivities will continue until 8 p.m.
The Easthampton Savings Bank green will host a Teddy Bear Picnic featuring Bill Shontz at 3:15 p.m. There will also be kids crafts and activities at “Bearland” and music by FlavaEvolution and Bluegrass Co-op from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Also, for those who work up a bearish appetite, there will be food cooked up by Glory of India.
Also, barbershop singers Shave and Haircut will perform throughout the city beginning at 2:45 p.m. at the Williston Park on Railroad and Union streets. As for the congenial bears, Maxey said “sightings” will take place all along the streets of Easthampton where the bears will be taking up residence through September. Bear Fest artists will also be speaking about their imaginative works throughout the day in front of their bears.
Among the artists accompanying their bears on Saturday will be Lahri Bond of Lake Pleasant. His bear, called SteamPunk, is winner of the People’s Choice Award and will be on display at Eastworks.
Bond, a book designer and illustrator who teaches art at Holyoke Community College, said he was glad to hear his bear will have a home at Eastworks.
“Eastworks reflects the tradition of the Industrial Age,” he said about the converted mill which is now home to industrial artisans and manufacturers.
And SteamPunk is very much an industrial bear, noted Bond.
“SteamPunk is as if H.G. Wells back in the 1800s would have envisioned him….not from a time of computers and plastic as we have now, but of a time more dominated by brass, wood and glass, where things we steam-powered and run more with intricate gears and clockwork precision,” said Bond.
“SteamPunk is a combination of paint with added on elements. He is essentially a bear with a top hat and tails who is wearing goggles and has clockwork gears on his belly and back, along with tubing of all kinds and mechanical bits add on,” he added.
SteamPunk and his other full-scale bear friends will be joined by 52 smaller tabletop bears created by school children in Easthampton, Westhampton, and Southampton and in Riverside Industry’s art classes. The student crafted bears will be on view throughout the city in various businesses and will be available to bid on.
And, for those who want to bring a bear home, there will be Bear Fest 2012 commemorative merchandise on sale at the ribbon-cutting on Cottage Street, Nash Gallery, Mt. Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream, and during the many activities on the green.
If you want to bring a big bear home with you, Maxey said an auction will be held at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on Sept. 20 bringing a formal end to Bear Fest 2012.
To help in your bear sightings, a Bear Fest map will be available at many participating downtown Easthampton locations.
In addition to the bears, artwork by local artists will be on view in various galleries and businesses from 5 to 8 p.m. for Art Walk Easthampton. Visit ArtWalkEasthampton.com for more information.