Art13 festival returns to Fort Lauderdale

NE 13th Street to play host from today to Saturday

Art13 is stepping out on its own for its second year.

The inaugural four-day festival was a part of the 13th Street Craft Beer & Wine Festival around this time last year ( just before Covid19 shut everything down). This sophomore effort Art13 will be a standalone event.

Taking place March 10-13, Art13 is so named because it is staged on Fort Lauderdale’s up-and-coming NE 13th Street also known as District 13, which includes neighborhoods Lake Ridge, Poinsettia Heights, Middle River, South Middle River and Lauderdale Manors.

For more information, go to ArtThirteen.com.

“The first year was very successful, I would say,” recalls Frank Polanco, the festival’s creator and curator. “It was this community event that included the businesses... with pop-ups in Gulf Stream [Brewery & Pizzeria], Milk Money [Bar & Kitchen], some empty retail spaces and Abby’s [Laughlin] warehouse space. Abby is one of our biggest supporters.”

Laughlin is a real estate developer who owns four buildings on the emerging dining/shopping hub of 13th Street and is the vice president of the Central City Alliance.

“People are very hungry for this type of experience,” Laughlin says. “And they are hungry for new places to go and new things to see. People seem to be hungry for the interaction. [Art13] has one night at Gulf Stream, one night at Milk Money — it’s like a progressive art event.”

Admission is free, however there will be a few silent auctions and donations accepted with proceeds benefiting South Florida Lending Hands.

Polanco also says that this year Art13 has asked artists to paint and decorate boxes for the Little Free Library, where books are placed in house-shaped boxes for anyone to freely borrow. The Little Free Library will be a juried art exhibit in a partnership with the City of Fort Lauderdale Neighbor Volunteer Office.

And on Saturday, “Everyone that comes, the attendees, they are given a brush and can be part of painting this one library,” Polanco adds.

The boxes will then be placed in front of 13th Street businesses Gulf Stream Brewery & Pizzeria, Milk Money Bar & Kitchen, LoveLee Bakeshop, OddBalls Nifty Thrift, H.O.M.E.S, INC and Flash Lube Oil Change.

Here’s what happening

„ Wednesday, March 10 — Opening reception and art silent auction (with cash bar) from 6-9 p.m. at Milk Money Bar & Kitchen, 815 NE 13th St. ArtThirteen.com/silentauction.

„ Thursday, March 11 — Community art event (with cash bar) to paint a Little Free Library from 6-9 p.m. at Gulf Stream Brewery & Pizzeria, 1105 NE 13th St.

„ Friday, March 12 — VIP Art Exhibit with live music and entertainment from 6-9 p.m. at the Warehouse 603, 603 NE 13th St. Facebook.com/sundaysatfive.

„ Saturday, March 13 — Little Free Library Art Walk with art installations, furniture design exhibit, live painting, retail booths/ stations, baked goods sale, story time book reading and the School Bus Mobile Art Studio where kids and adults can come on board and create a recycled butterfly and beaded sun catcher (suggested donation of $10) from 1-6 p.m. at the Warehouse 603. Free parking at Iron Workers Local 272 at 1201 NE Seventh Ave.

FRANK POLANCO/COURTESY The second annual Art13, a four-day arts and culture event in Fort Lauderdale’s District 13 along Northeast 13th Street, will take place today through Saturday.