This weekend is when the 2020 Art on the Prairie Art Festival was supposed to take place in downtown Perry.

However, organizers decided to switch to a virtual format this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual festival typically brings 100 artists, musicians, poets, and authors to downtown Perry. Chamber of Commerce Director Lynsi Pasutti says local businesses will still have their open houses this weekend, but estimates there will be far fewer people filling the streets of Perry. One highlight of the virtual format is that folks will be able to participate through November 30th, instead of being limited to one weekend.

The virtual event will have three components: a marketplace for shoppers to buy directly from local artists, community-supported art packages that bundle artwork from multiple artists available for purchase, and artist spotlights that will feature live-streamed and pre-recorded interviews, demonstrations, and musical performances.

You can find a link to the event page here.