Celebrate at 11th Annual Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival June 9

Cynthia Coté, right, artist and executive director of the Copper Country Community Arts Center, and Phyllis Fredendall, Arts Center Board member, fiber artist and professor at Finlandia's International School of Art and Design, are pictured here at the 2011 Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival. This year the festival will again be held on the upper parking deck in downtown Houghton. (Photos by Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- Celebrate the arrival of spring with the Houghton Spring Art and Music Festival happening from noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, on the upper parking deck in downtown Houghton. Hosted by the Copper Country Community Arts Center, the festival, , now in its 11th year, provides an opportunity to hear live local music, spend time downtown, and shop at regional artist booths.

Houghton artist Miriam Pickens displays her pottery for sale in her booth at the 2011 Art and Music Festival.

This year’s artist booths will feature stained glass, pottery, jewelry, fiber art, wearable art, photography, soaps, books, and many more quality art items for sale. A new addition to the festival will be demonstrating artists scheduled throughout the day.

Debbie Mues, artist and CLK Schools teacher of art, joins her husband, Mike Gage, wood carver, at his booth during the 2011 Art and Music Festival.

There will be a variety of fun and free family art activities along with the Frog Hop scavenger hunt at local businesses. This year features a Frog Hop for adults and a Jr. Frog Hop for youth ages 18 and under. Get your Frog Hop cards during the festival, visit each of the participating downtown businesses for a frog stamp, get your last stamp at the Copper Country Community Arts Center (CCCAC) booth and your card will be put in a prize drawing.

At the Community Arts Center booth during the 2011 festival, artist Kerri Corser holds plants she purchased from volunteer and Arts Center Board Member Christa Walck, left. The box for Frog Hop cards (lower left in photo) will again be at the Arts Center booth this year.

You may win prizes and gift certificates from these businesses supporting the festival and the Community Arts Center: Surplus Outlet, Wicker and Willow, Down Wind Sports, 5th and Elm, Swift's True Value Hardware, The Bike Shop, Good Times Music, Chickadees, Victoria's Kitchen, The Lunch Bag, and The Blue Iris.

The Arts Center will also have an information booth with the ever popular Extreme Bake Sale.

Artist Suzanne Hamilton volunteers at the Extreme Bake Sale, a favorite stop for visitors  during the 2011 Art and Music Festival.

The CCCAC will sponsor family art activities tents with demonstrations and activities throughout the day, including Fish Prints from noon to 2:30 p.m., Frog Masks and Paper Flowers from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Watercolor Painting from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Anita Campbell of Calumet, Isle Royale and Keweenaw Parks Association Board member, volunteers at the Association's book sale booth during the 2011 Art and Music Festival. She is holding a copy of Death's Door: The Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder, by Steve Lehto.

Author Debbie Frontiera sells her books at her booth during the 2011 Art and Music Festival. Customer Allan Baker holds one of her books, Copper Country Chronicler: The Best of J.W. Nara.

Several musical groups will play for listening and dancing throughout the day. Here is the music line-up:
Noon -- Suzuki Students
12:45 p.m. -- Gratiot Lake Road
2 p.m. -- Uncle Pete's Allstar BBQ Blues Band
3:15 p.m. -- The Board
4:30 p.m. -- Thimbleberry Band
5:45 p.m. -- AJ Fischer and Scott Perkins

During the 2011 Art and Music Festival, dancers do a schottische to the music of the Pasi Cats. This year a number of bands will play music for all ages at the festival.

There is plenty of parking and the event is free and open to everyone.

The 2012 Spring Art and Music Festival is sponsored by the Copper Country Community Arts Center in Hancock, the City of Houghton, Brockit Inc., with support from the Keweenaw Brewing Company, Minnesota Public Radio, 5th and Elm, Swift's True Value Hardware, and the Lunch Bag.

Since 1972 the Copper Country Community Arts Council has been dedicated to fostering an environment where the arts and people grow together. Visit the Community Arts Center at 126 Quincy Street, Hancock or, for more information, call the Copper Country Community Arts Center at 482-2333 or visit www.coppercountryarts.com and www.facebook.com/CCCAC.