Neither rain nor the COVID-19 pandemic could stop the Guthrie County Arts Council from hosting their “Art in the Village Square” event Saturday.

The free artist vendor show was rebranded after the non-profit organization’s annual event was cancelled last June and was meant to be held in the downtown Panora square, but Saturday morning’s rain moved the event inside at Veterans Auditorium.

Event Co-Chair Jen Hewitt shares that the artists were still pleased to be part of an art event, as many have been cancelled because of the pandemic this year, “They are very happy, I myself was in a show a couple weeks ago and it didn’t even matter what you sold. It was the feeling of, ‘I get to go out and take my products out and have the community see them.’ And I knew then after going through that myself that promoting this, that was going to be the highlight for the artists and it is, but they’ve really done well also here.”

Hewitt also thanks Brick Imerman for booking all of the musical acts that performed throughout the day. She adds that the organization looks forward to hosting their 10th annual Art in the Village event next year.