From 5 until 8 tonight, downtown Kernersville will be transformed into a corridor of businesses celebrating art and music.
The first "Arts d'Vine" celebration is a result of downtown area business owners creating a unique venue to celebrate the arts while showcasing renovated Main Street.
"We feel a sense of excitement of what can be in downtown Kernersville," said organizer Cindy Stultz, who has owned Muddpies Pottery & Gifts for five years.
With three art galleries in historic downtown Kernersville, having an event emphasizing art and music with wine tasting is geared toward an older audience than the more family-oriented festivals such as the Spring Folly.
Main Street gallery owner and artist Richard Hedgecock has not been involved in the planning but is looking forward to the event, which is free to the public.
"Anything we can do to get people to come to downtown is a positive," Hedgecock said.
His art gallery will be open, and a winery from northeast Guilford County will be holding tastings there. A group of singers will perform in front of his gallery.
"This is going to be a cultural event with entertainment, wine and art. Those make for a nice marriage," Hedgecock said.
"This is going to appeal to a little different audience," said organizer Chris Fredrico, the creative director at SPARK Brand Inspiration, an advertising agency.
Organizers wanted their first art hop to include businesses that do not traditionally see retail traffic. Businesses will sponsor visiting artists, wineries and musicians.
Stultz and Fredrico hope that the visiting artists will consider opening studio space in Kernersville as a result of the evening.
More than 20 artists, 11 wineries and eight guest musicians will join 25 participating businesses for the event.
Most of the displays will be held indoors, making Arts d'Vine a rain-or-shine event.
Color-coded balloons will indicate which businesses are sponsoring either art, wine or music.
Recent renovations to the Main Street area and the efforts of the Kernersville Downtown Preservation Development Council have revitalized the historic intersection of Main and Mountain Streets in Kernersville, making it possible for business owners to unite and create new events to draw larger crowds to the area.
However, the months-long closing of Main Street during its refurbishing and the economic downturn has had an impact on the small-business owners.
Stultz noted that this type of event provides excitement and a change of pace as well as brings people downtown on a Friday afternoon.
"Sometimes the first time for anything can be a struggle. I think this just might be pretty well attended for a first-time thing," Hedgecock said.
■ Monica Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com.
■ For more information, visit www.artsdvine.com
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