3 reasons why the Street Painting Fest is so cool
Palm Beach Count y has a ton of cool events — SunFest, The Honda Classic, Oktoberfest — but The Lake Worth Street Painting Festival must rank near the top.
On Feb. 25 and 26, more than 600 artists, armed with environmentally friendly chalk, will once again transform Lake and Lucerne avenues into a giant outdoor museum as colorful masterpieces line the streets until car tires — or raindrops — wipe them away.
Here are three reasons why the festival — billed as the largest of its kind in the world — remains the county’s coolest.
1. It’s so Lake Worth: Can you imagine this festival being held in Boca Raton? Jupiter? Palm Beach Gardens? Of course not. It could only be held in a community as funkily diverse as Lake Worth.
2. It takes you back in time: The origins of street painting can be traced back to 16th century Italy when vagabond artists would use chalk to turn asphalt into a makeshift canvas. And, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to take a trip to Italy? This could be the closest some people get.
3. It has 3D art: Two years ago, The Chalk Guys – Hector Diaz and Ken Mullen — recreated The Beatles’ famous Abbey Road album cover. There’s also such trippy — and awe-inspiring — work that tricks onlookers into believing they’re falling into a crater. Be careful, though ... after drinking a few cold ones, that trip might seem all too real.