WAPPINGERS SCHOOL DISTRICT-Wappingers School District officials are anticipating a great day of art and community this Saturday as they hold the annual Festival of the Arts.

Formerly known as "Art in the Park" because of its location in Mesier Park in the Village of Wappingers Falls, the 59th annual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16, with a raindate of Sunday, May 17.

The day will include a vast outdoor display of myriad types of art, with work by every WCSD elementary student and all high school art students represented.

District coordinator for Fine and Performing Arts Mary Bish said the district couldn't ask for a better place to display students' creative work.

"That park is just a great venue," she said. "It's a perfect showcase."

In addition to the sketches, paintings, origami, papier mache, and pottery on display, there will be live demonstrations of clay throwing and other arts activities that the public can try free of charge. There will also be a full slate of musical performances in the gazebo at the center of the park. These will change approximately every half-hour and will include the Van Wyck Junior High sixth grade chorus, small an ensemble from Gayhead Elementary, the Wappingers Junior High School Jazz Ensemble, Show Choir, small ensembles from WJHS, Fishkill, Myers, and Sheafe, the Kinry Road sixth grade orchestra and cello ensemble, the John Jay Chamber Choir and saxophone ensembles from both Jay and Ketcham. The performance schedule will be abbreviated if the festival is held Sunday.

New this year will be the first senior show at the nearby DohrMohr gallery. Featuring work by all John Jay and Ketcham senior art students, the show opened this past Saturday and will run for a month. The gallery, located on East Main Street near Mesier Park, is owned by WCSD alums. Bish called the show "exciting" and a great way to highlight the work of the seniors who will be leaving the district in June.

In addition to browsing student artwork, visitors can also stroll the Village of Wappingers Falls for its annual village-wide yard sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. And there's no fear of anyone going hungry because Zion Episcopal Church, located on Satterlee Place opposite Grinnell Library, will be selling drinks and food during the day.

The coordination of these latter efforts, Bish said, harks back to a simpler time when the community gathered to celebrate and adds another element of pleasure and fun to the arts fest.

"It's just so exciting and enjoyable," she said of the festival. "It's an incredible gift the community."