White tents filled with art lined the sidewalks around Piedmont Park’s active oval spanning from 12th Street to 14th Street during the two-day festival. Artists from all over the country participated in the event and brought with them unique art ranging from photography to glass to wood sculptures. More than 20,000 art enthusiasts and casual festival attendees were expected to be at the event, which has been ranked as one of the top 100 finest arts shows in the country according to Sunshine Artist magazine.

Despite the construction surrounding Music Midtown, Piedmont Park still hosted the annual Atlanta Arts Festival Sept. 13 and 14. The festival had approximately 200 vendors and featured chef demonstrations and live music.

Greg Stones, an artist who creates “miniature gouache paintings of penguins, zombies and sock monkeys,” was a vendor at the festival and has been for the past four years. Stones, who is from South Carolina, participates in several art festivals around the country including festivals in Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Miami. He wrote in an email interview that the Atlanta Arts Festival is more laid-back than the other art festivals he attends.

“Art festivals are a great way for artists to interact with the human race,” Stones wrote. “Art festivals expose artists to lots of different people and expose lots of different people to lots of different artististic sensibilities. Everybody wins.”

New this year to the festival was the Art of Cooking Stage, sponsored by Krog Street Market. This event highlighted prominent chefs from KSM, such as Todd Ginsberg of Yalla and Fred’s Meat and Bread, in a setting that allowed them to connect with the audience through cooking demonstrations.

The festival also featured 11 live performances from local bands such as Mudcat, Georgia Flood and No Komment.

“We are able to not only provide a cultural experience, but also one that festival attendees can participate in, learn from and be fully engaged in,” Atlanta Arts Festival founder Julie Tepp wrote in an email interview. “Each year we return with an amazing group of talented artists from around the country showcasing artwork in 12 different mediums, and the vast buying community of Atlanta is exposed to a diversified collection of art pieces.”

Tracy Tepp, co-founder of the Atlanta Arts Festival, wrote via email that the goal behind the festival is to have a positive impact on the community by enhancing its cultural environment.

“We hope that our efforts will produce an event that is fun and enlightening to a wide range of people,” Tracy Tepp wrote. “From kids to adults … from art novices to the experienced collector.”