Collegiate Times

Looking for something exciting, artistic and free to do this summer? Well, thanks to the Summer Arts Festival 2008, sponsored by Virginia Tech School of the Arts and the Town of Blacksburg, you can look no farther than downtown Blacksburg. The town will be full of stimulating arts and cultural attractions. From concerts and plays to classic movies and art exhibitions, the festival provides the joy of the arts and entertainment for people of every age.

Related: Calendar

This year's festival continues to grow in the variety of events offered to the New River Valley community, including free classic movies at the Lyric and three theater productions, one for each age level. The festival's performers are having fun producing this array of events.

"I'm having a great time," said David Johnson, associate professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and one of the main characters in "The Gin Game."

Audience participation also continues to grow, along with a greater sense of community spirit.

"This festival has become a tremendous part of the town and university's community life, and has brought the two very close together," said E. Jane Harrison, producer of the Summer Arts Festival. "The festival has become a very important part of the town make-up and small town feel of community spirit, togetherness and family."

Festival participants and performers agree on the importance of bringing arts to the New River Valley in an effort to create a close-knit community.

"I think it's important for a community to have an arts presence, and I hope that the arts additions at Virginia Tech, including the new building, will be a part of that, and it will grow and become more," said David Johnson, a faculty member of the Department of Theatre Arts,

The 17th annual festival kicked off last Friday, May 30, and will run until late August. Below is a brief overview of this summer's events.

For more information visit the Summer Arts Festival Web site: www.sota.vt.edu/saf.