Sneak Peek: Freehold's Half Mile Of Horses Art Walk Coming Soon

FREEHOLD, NJ — The borough's second annual Half Mile of Horses Art Walk is almost ready to be unveiled.

And in anticipation of the popular public art installation, organized by the borough's Neighborhood Preservation Program, a photo of one of the artworks has been released to get a taste of what's to come.

The sculpture will soon be one of 18 decorated horses on display on pedestals along Main Street.

"Bonne Nuit, France" ("Good Night, France") by artist and Freehold resident Amelia-May is pictured above.

She is the youngest artist in the group selected to create the Half Mile of Horses, according to Dominica R. Napolitano, Freehold Neighborhood Preservation Program coordinator.

The undecorated sculptures are created by StoneDog Studios in Freehold as the canvas for the artists' work.

The sculptures are expected to be on display beginning July 11, according to the latest information on the Neighborhood Preservation Program's Facebook site.

In fact, you can get another sneak peek at the horses there as of Friday.

"The horses are starting to line up at the gate!" the post exclaims.

Out of 40 entrants, 18 local artists were chosen to create this Art Walk this year. There were 12 sculptures last year.

The Art Walk brings the decorated sculptures to Main Street as a way to honor the equine heritage of Freehold Borough, Napolitano has said.

The borough is home to Freehold Raceway, one of the oldest half-mile tracks in the country. And western Monmouth County is known for its horse farms, she says.

Thousands of people are once again expected to view and engage with the installation - and bring business to Freehold's downtown restaurants and shops.

In this second annual event, the horse sculptures will be on display on Main Street from July to October.

An accompanying QR code will be attached to each sculpture base. The public then can vote for their favorite horses.

A ribbon ceremony identifying the winning horses (Win, Place and Show) will take place in front of the Hall of Records in October.