Columbia’s downtown lakefront attracted more than 30,000 people for LakeFest, a three-day community arts festival June 12-14.

The free event at Lake Kittamaqundi included a kinetic art parade, children’s art activities, street painting contests and live music and performances. More than 60 artisans participated in an art show, displaying and selling their work.

Since 2003, it has kicked off the Columbia Festival of the Arts, which runs through June 27 with events throughout the area.

Nichole Hickey, Executive Director for the Columbia Festival of the Arts, credited the weekend’s warm weather for the good turnout.

The most widely attended event was the closing performance on Sunday featuring the Glenelg High School Jazz Ensemble, Hickey said.

“They have an enormous following and reputation, which brings out a huge crowd — they’re our traditional Sunday closer,” she added.

New to the festival this year was BookFest, which showcased a variety of literature with book readings and discussions featuring both local and nationally known authors. Hickey said the inaugural BookFest was a success and she hopes to continue it next year.

“Part of our mission is to build a community feeling in Columbia,” Hickey said. “LakeFest is a key factor to achieving this mission.”

For more information about the Columbia Festival of the Arts, including a schedule and ticket information for upcoming performances, click here.

— Heather Carney

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