An abundance of art, entertainment and food will draw crowds to downtown Coeur d'Alene next weekend.

Art on the Green, the Downtown Street Fair and Taste of Coeur d'Alene will take place simultaneously from Friday through Sunday with vendors lined up along Sherman Avenue through City Park and the North Idaho College campus. For 48 years, Art on the Green has brought together artists and art enthusiasts from all over North Idaho and surrounding states.

"It's the one event that, personally, I look forward to every year," said artist Cindy Draper of Post Falls.

Draper has been to Art on the Green as a spectator for about 20 years and said she always enjoys the festival. This year Draper said she is excited to be an active participant for the first time. She will show off her stained glass chimes and free-hanging stained glass windows during the event. Draper said she incorporates “anything with character” into her pieces, things like vintage plates and bowls.

Carol Stacey, Art on the Green president, has been involved with the event since the early 1970s. She said when the festival first started it was held at McEuen Field where she remembers it being very small and very hot. She said it was only a couple years before the NIC president at the time, Barry Schuler, arranged for the festival to be held at the college.

"The grounds made all the difference," Stacey said. "We have the trees and the nice breeze coming in from the lake. It really makes it much more friendly to the people who come there."

Stacey said in the early years of the festival there were about 60 booths and a "make-do" stage for entertainment with no sound equipment. This year there will be about 170 booths with plenty of entertainment, and Stacey said although the participants sell their wares, it is not a commercial atmosphere because the artists are selling only their own works.

"It's a very relaxed and friendly environment," Stacey said. "Part of it is the grounds, the fact that we have the use of such a pleasant place. And if you hang around for a day you will see everyone you know."

Jackson Costa, of Hayden, had a booth for the first time last year and said the festival is a great opportunity to get out and meet new people, both local and from out of state.

"It was incredible last year how many people I spoke to and how much traffic came through my booth," Costa said. "I think it's great and everybody is so nice."

Costa has a welding and fabrication shop in Hayden where he does a lot of custom work, like ornate fire pits and small metal art. Much of his work, he said, is Idaho outdoors-themed often featuring wildlife like elk and moose. He said his hot dog and marshmallow roasters with the handles displaying the outdoor themes were a big hit last year.

The 25th annual Street Fair will feature 250 vendors lined up along Sherman Avenue, from Northwest Boulevard to Seventh Street.

Emily Boyd, event coordinator for the Downtown Association, said some of the returning favorites are Uncle Stinky's Magic and Morando's Sculptures, as well as the classic kids favorites of henna tattoos and face painting. There will also be several new vendors and offerings including natural smoothies, a couple of children's boutiques, and Art on the Green first-time art vendors.

Alberto Contreras Vicente from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is a new one to look for with his hand-woven rugs, dyed with natural coloring. The rugs are made from wool sheared from sheep and prepared by the Zapotec people in a village near Oaxaca. It is spun into yarn with a wooden spinning wheel and natural dye is added to water in large pottery pots over fires. The natural dyes are made from fruits, wild plants and insects such as the cochinilla insect that lives on cactus. The weaving process is done on hand looms, and the more experience the weaver has, the more complex the pattern or design will be.

Boyd said the goal of the Street Fair is to have something for everyone — all ages and price ranges.

"Anyone from the community can really come and enjoy downtown and enjoy the Street Fair," Boyd said.

In the center of all the activity will be Taste of Coeur d'Alene, hosted by the Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis Club. The Taste of Coeur d'Alene, held at Coeur d'Alene City Park, attracts more than 50,000 people each year over the three days. The 29th annual event will feature more than 100 food and craft vendors, live music, a beer garden with local microbrews and free children's activities.