LUMBERTON – The annual Arts on Elm, which dates back to 2016, returns this spring to downtown Lumberton to showcase local artists and their respective forms of artistic expression.

Named after historic Elm Street, the event was established by the Arts Council of Robeson County to promote the idea of buying and selling local, handmade goods.

In the past, the vendors have included painters, potters, wood burners, basket weavers and jewelry designers.

Arts on Elm is scheduled for the downtown Dick Taylor Plaza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 20.

Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend. The only thing that will cost visitors is what they purchase onsite.

“So, for newcomers to the event, they can expect continuous live entertainment in the form of live music. We have some dance companies come through and then just some entertainment throughout,” said Brianna Goodwin, the president of the sponsoring Arts Council. “We also have vendors, and we are very careful how we select vendors to make sure there’s a wide variety of local crafts persons and anything from paintings to handmade soaps to candles to specialty items and jewelry.

“And, like I said,” Goodwin added, “a very wide variety of those items. All from local artists.”

Live demonstrations and kids activities will be part of this year’s event.

Food trucks, an addition added in more recent years, will be another option for guests. At least two or three of the mobile food trucks are expected to serve the public from the plaza area.

“We’re expecting upwards of 40 vendors total,” she said. “It will be a full plaza. And all handmade items.”

According to Goodwin, her organization normally sees repeat participants but also has some vendors involved for the first time.

“Woodcarvings, I always think, are interesting,” she said. “Handmade pens are really interesting items that we’ve seen. Again, just a really wide variety. Even though you have a lot of painters, their styles are so uniquely different from one table to the next (that) you see a huge diversity of products.”

The downtown festival serves as a fundraiser for the Arts Council in the form of vendor fees. But Goodwin said, “By and large, we just break even so it’s a service to the community as much as it is a fundraiser.

“It’s an opportunity to empower local artists for their work to be seen and also a free community event for those interested in art and music,” said the Arts Council president.

Typically, Arts on Elm draws a couple of hundred people, but Goodwin noted that it has steadily grown. As a result, she’s expecting a larger attendance than ever before.

“We anticipate at least over 500 this year,” she said.

Originally, Arts on Elm was staged along the residential side of Elm Street with vendors set up roadside in the front lawns of the city’s residents.

“After COVID, people got a little bit trepidatious about having folks in that proximity to their residents. So, we made the decision to move it to that downtown area,” she said of the plaza area.

All in all, the festival “is kind of in the name. It really is,” Goodwin added. “It’s live music. It’s art. There are people that do live art demonstrations. Live drawing, live painting. So art creation for folks to witness. That’s something that’s been very unique about this festival that you don’t see at other ones around the county.

“Like I said, it’s really in the name. Just expect arts, music, artsy people, a lot of great conversations with artists. Finding out what inspires them. How you can obtain their work. And possibly create partnerships between local artists. We’re just excited to put it on again, and hopefully, we’ll have good attendance.”