There is a lot of room left inside McHenry’s Miller Point Park for anyone who wants to come out to work their chalk art, Barb Neises said.

A total of 16 competitors were signed up as of Tuesday to vie for prizes in the city’s first-ever Riverwalk Chalkwalk Fest and Competition, set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the park on Riverside Drive at the Fox River.

In addition to giving chalk artists canvasses to draw their art and compete for cash prizes, the day will include face painting, crafts and a bouncy house for children, as well as live music and food trucks for families, Neises said.

The event is being put on by the city of McHenry and the Riverwalk Foundation, Neises said, adding that Chalkwalk came together over just the past few months.

John Smith, her neighbor and president of the Riverwalk Foundation board, was passing through a Wisconsin town and its chalk festival.

“He said, ‘Barb I love this idea,’” and asked if they could make one happen in McHenry, she said.

The community seems to be excited about the idea too, she said. Nearly 1,000 people have shown interest via the Chalkwalk’s Facebook event page.

There are two competitor groups – one for ages 12 to 17 and one for 18 and up. For the $35 entrance fee, the competitors get a 4-by-4-foot area for their chalk art and a 48 piece soft pastel chalk set to work with. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and judging is at 4 p.m.

There are spaces left, Neises said, as well as chalk sets, so they may allow on-site registration.

A separate area – no registration required – will be given to children under age 12 to give them a chance to draw with chalk too.

The event is not a fundraiser for the riverwalk or the city.

“It is a give-back” to the community, Neises said. “This was a last-minute thing that the city wanted to do. I am hoping we can get a committee going for next year to make this into a really big event.”

Most of the chalk artists who have signed up for the competition are local to the area, she added. They are not limited to subject of the art, as is the case with some festivals, but are asked to give a photo of their inspiration to ensure the art is appropriate to the event.

“It is unbelievable what these artists can do with chalk,” Neises said.

More details are available at the foundation’s website, mchenryriverwalk.org.