Hanover welcomes the work of chalk artists in May

  • 2014-05-14
Two things that do not go together are sidewalk chalk and water, and rainy weather caused the annual ‘Chalk It Up May Flowers’ event in downtown Hanover to be postponed from May 10 until May 17.

Originally scheduled to coincide with the district's Second Saturdays campaign and with Mother's Day weekend, the rescheduled event asks sidewalk artists of all ages and skills to create a mural, using chalk, on the sidewalks.

The theme this year is May Flowers. According to Jennifer Herfel, the event coordinator, the theme was picked to go along with Main Street Hanover's Design and Beautification Program. Had the event taken place on May 10, it would have worked well with Mother's Day, too, as many moms receive flowers on the holiday.

The downtown organization could use flyer printing to let people know that the event has been rescheduled and to encourage people to register to participate. Chalk artists are each given a sidewalk square to decorate between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturday.

After 2:00 pm, judges will pick their favorites, based on age, and announce the winners at 4:00 pm. Even people who don't plan on drawing or decorating a piece of the sidewalk are invited to attend the event. Businesses in the area will offer promotions and specials throughout the day. After the decorating contest, Michael William Kirby will teach an art program at the Guthrie Memorial Library. Kirby, a street artist from Baltimore, will also be decorating his own piece of sidewalk.