Dates have yet to be announced

Hot in Lakewood in August! 3rd Annual Chile Harvest Arts Festival   One of the metro area’s most unique festivals returns to the Lakewood Heritage Center for the third year to celebrate traditional Spanish Colonial and contemporary art with entertainment and food held to honor the harvest of the chile pepper. The City of Lakewood, in partnership with the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council, will host the Chile Harvest Arts Festival. And there's plenty of free parking available.   The Chile Harvest Arts Festival features local Chicano/Latino traditional and contemporary artists. The festival will feature more than 40 artists presenting eclectic and diverse work in a variety of media, including oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, as well as pottery, sculpture, jewelry, textiles, mixed media, photography and digital design along with music, dance and other cultural presentations including art activities for the kids.   Lakewood’s Heritage Center serves as an ideal setting for this culturally diverse festival. Various art forms will be demonstrated live at the event, including Santos making. As the Hispanic influence dominated the West and Southwest, so too followed the Santos art form. Santos are traditional art pieces that depict saints, angels and other religious figures. Different types of Santos include bultos, three-dimensional carved figures, retablos, painted panels, and reredos altar screens.   Various forms of music and dance will be taking place including Aztec dance, which was considered to be a prayer-like ritual. Through traditional dances and special, colorful native dress, the Aztec dancers interpret the social, cultural and political aspects of the ancient Mexican culture. Ballet Folklorico presents a more recent historical interpretation of the rich, beautiful culture of Mexico, representative of specific states and regions. Their costumes and music display both the indigenous history and the Spanish influence.   Popular with all ages, the Kids’ Area offers interactive, educational and hands-on art activities. One of the more popular activities is the creation of Ojo Dios, or God’s eyes. This craft consists of weaving colorful yarn across two or more sticks, forming an “eye,” and it is thought to have originated with the Huichol Indians of Jalisco, Mexico. Participants are given the opportunity to experience a new art form and take their inspired creations home.   Fresh roasted green chiles and colorful ristras will be available for purchase at the event. Food vendors will have items smothered or infused with green chiles, along with various other festival delights. Ristras are a traditional arrangement of chile pepper pods that are strung to dry for later consumption or to be used as a decoration. Guests can even learn how to make their own.