St. Charles Fine Art Show to be scaled back because of pandemic

Art will again be on display in downtown St. Charles in May as part of the St. Charles Fine Art Show.

However the show, organized by the St. Charles Business Alliance, will take on a different look because of the pandemic. The show is set to take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 29 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 30.

As St. Charles Police Chief James Keegan told aldermen earlier this month, the show’s footprint will be reduced, with artist tent spaces centered around Riverside Avenue and placed at least six feet apart.

“The entrances will be monitored by volunteers for tracking the number of attendees,” Keegan told aldermen. “One-way dividers along with directional stickers will also be used, and safety guidelines and sanitation stations will be implemented for added protection.”

In addition, Keegan said the St. Charles Business Alliance plans to work with nearby Pollyanna Brewing Company and Flagship on the Fox sports bar to provide “live background music to accent the show.”

The St. Charles Business Alliance is requesting the closure of several streets to accommodate the event, including:

•South Riverside Avenue from Main Street to Illinois Avenue.

•Walnut Avenue from 2nd to Riverside avenues.

•2nd Avenue from Walnut to Illinois avenues.

•The city parking lot between Riverside and 2nd avenues.

Last year, the St. Charles Fine Art Show was merged with the St. Charles Jazz Weekend because of the pandemic. The St. Charles Jazz and Art Weekend was held in September.