Norristown Arts Hill Festival Scheduled for May 4

Norristown Arts Council will hold its fourth annual Norristown Arts Hill Festival on Saturday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along DeKalb Street from Lafayette Street to Airy Street. The event celebrates Norristown’s developing arts and culture district based along the "Norristown Arts Hill."

The free event will feature regionally and nationally-acclaimed performers including local theatre groups, dance companies, church choirs, jazz, rock, folk and children’s musicians, magicians and spoken word artists.

"In this fourth year of the Norristown Arts Hill Festival, we are proud to see community members looking forward to this new tradition in Norristown," Norristown Arts Council President Rich Rogers wrote in a recent release. "New artists and vendors have eagerly come on-board from outside of the community to take part in this festive event that is so vital to reestablishing Norristown as a destination."

The festival includes a wide array of participating vendors of fine arts, performance-related businesses, cultural delicacies, favorite foods, and local and regional services.

The 2013 Norristown Arts Hill Festival will also feature a Kids’ Corner – a family-friendly performance, vending and activity area in the 200 block of DeKalb Street. Bring the kids out early for special performances and activities between 10am and noon.

According to the Norristown Arts Council, the event will also "showcase the beautifully developing downtown Norristown area, " helping in Norristown's revitalization efforts with a family-friendly day of entertainment.

"The Norristown Arts Hill Festival promises a public display of richness in diversity, people, talent and culture for the entire region to enjoy,” wrote Rogers.

Sponsors of this year's event include:

• The Times Herald
• PECO
• TD Bank
• Seasons 52 Restaurant
• Elmwood Park Zoo
• The Municipality of Norristown.

To celebrate the many local businesses and patrons of the arts supporting the event, the Norristown Arts Council is holding a cocktail reception on Thursday, May 2, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Elmwood Park Zoo. The reception will featuring a buffet, cash bar and live entertainment.

For tickets to the reception and more information visit www.norristownartshill.org.