Midtown Festival of the Arts Postponed until Next Fall

Midtown Festival of the Arts will be postponed until 2012. 

The juried art festival -- which debuted in 2010 along the "Midtown Mile," closing off Peachtree Street between 5th and 10th streets -- was scheduled for Sept. 24 and 25. 

But organizers say the festival won't return for its second year in 2011 because of difficulty raising money. 

"This is a difficult year for fundraising," Michael Floyd, president of the festival, said Friday in a release. "While we were successful in securing return sponsors, including Audi at the presenting level, we have not yet secured enough funds to execute the festival without compromising the level of quality.  

"We also formed relationships with some exciting partners a bit late in the game for 2011 -- we know it is in the festival's best interest to spend the next year working with these partners and sponsors who are committed to bringing high caliber arts, culture and community building events to Atlanta."  

The announcement of  on the same weekend in September solidified the decision to postpone the event, organizers say.

"While I don't think either event would necessarily 'hurt' the other, it would've created a logistical nightmare to close Peachtree Street from 10th - 5th on the same weekend as Music Midtown in Piedmont Park," Tucker Berta said in an email. 

The fall 2012 date for Midtown Festival of the Arts will be announced in a few weeks. Organizers again plan to close Peachtree Street. 

The inaugural festival featured more than 100 artists, musical performances, culinary tastings and children's activities. It attracted more than 20,000 visitors to the area.

"The Midtown Festival of the Arts weekend in 2010 was our highest grossing weekend of the year," said David Gore, owner of DrewLewis boutique in the Metropolis building in Midtown. "We were introduced to hundreds of new customers who don't live or work in Midtown -- they purchased that weekend and have continued to come back and shop with us."