Easthampton Bear Fest - June 13, 2009

Some of our awesome artisits will be at the Bear Fest on June 16, 2009
Taken from their site that you can visit HERE

Opa-Opa Brewing Company hosts an Easthampton Bear Fest Party & Fundraiser. See the News Section for details!

Starting in June 2009, Easthampton City Arts will host a major public art event in the City of Easthampton, Massachusetts. The Easthampton Bear Fest will revolve around an exhibit of life sized bears (at least 20 large bears and 10-20 small “baby” bears, which will have been decorated and painted by local and regional artists) and will run through the summer and into the fall, ending in Mid-October with a City-wide, week-long celebration of the arts and an auction of the Bears.

There have been dozens of these displays throughout the United States and Europe, beginning in 1998 in Switzerland and followed by the Cow Parade in Chicago in 1999. Always wildly popular, ECA is expecting the Easthampton Bear Fest to draw record crowds throughout the Summer and into the Fall.

When the Bear Fest opens in June of 2009, the bears will be displayed throughout the downtown area, within a reasonable walking tour. A “Bear Track” map will be available for visitors to track each bear location and check off each one that they’ve seen. Many photo opportunities will be found throughout the exhibit tour. We can only imagine where the bears will hide. Some on street corners, up on a rooftop, on the pond or hanging in the air. Imaginations will soar!

Location is one thing, but the bears themselves are another! In the Cow Parade, cows were seen flying, dressed as businessmen with briefcases, mosaic’d, stenciled, cut in pieces, and dressed as cowgirls! Who knows what bears will show up on our streets in June! You’ll be able to vote for your favorite, children will be invited to participate in a scavenger hunt and hear stories read by local authors and illustrators, and much much more. Many events are being planned throughout the summer, so visit this website often as new events will be added as planned!

Our kick-off event was an Easthampton Bear Fest float in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day parade!