The Associated Arts of Ocean Shores (AAOS) hosted its 56th annual art festival over the Labor Day weekend to throngs of art enthusiasts and beach visitors.

Free to attend, the art festival featured live outdoor music Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Varied food options were available daily as well as kids’ activities to make it an all-ages affair for partakers. Popular local food vendors such as Mr. Taco, Grizzly Den Gone Wild, Oak Burger & Smoked BBQ, Hansen’s Mini Donuts, Bay City Sausage and Hot Mama’s Egg Roll Hut were busy every day.

Nearly 80 vendors set up inside and outside the Ocean Shores Convention Center for the long weekend to ply their wares. Many vendors came from outside Western Washington with the furthest coming from Idaho. From metal, glass, and wood crafters to oil and water color painters, the art festival had something for everyone.

Heading up the event for the AAOS, Leslie Zielke was pleased with attendance for the festival and praised the hard work of all the volunteers that make the festival work.

“It’s a lot of organizing, but having quality live outdoor music and great food all day makes it more inviting for anyone to come to the festival. You don’t have to be an ‘art’ person,” she said.

Throughout the weekend silent auctions on numerous items inside the convention center helped raise money to fund the large festival. Zielke proudly noted that AAOS received “three times as many donations as last year for the auction.”

North Beach and Hoquiam high schools also held an art competition with top entries displayed inside the convention center. The winners received a cash prize for their effort. Zielke is hoping more schools will want to participate in next year’s event. Including schools in the festival aligns with the primary goal of AAOS to promote the arts and what they have to offer in our community.

Zielke said the AAOS has gone through the legal paperwork to change the name of the organization from the Associated Arts of Ocean Shores to Artists by the Sea and will be in effect in the near future. Should anyone have questions or need information on next year’s event go online to associatedarts.org for more details or contact information.

One of artist Karen Fox’s oil paintings on display last weekend in Ocean Shores at the convention center.