‘No interest’ scraps Owatonna arts festival

For 22 years, the Owatonna Arts Center has hosted the Festival of the Arts, but no more — at least not for a year.

The festival has been canceled because of lack of interest, the Owatonna People’s Press reports.

There’s not as many artists as we would need to fill the park,” said Cindy Rossow, former board member currently serving on the festival committee. “We trust that we will be hosting a wonderful, diverse arts festival next year.”

Rossow said turnout and artist participation last year was less than what the OAC would typically like to have.

The Festival of the Arts was held the last weekend of July since 1993 and, over the past several years, has been coupled with Crazy Days sidewalk sale and the street dance in downtown Owatonna — a time that was dubbed “5 Days of Fun,” later shortened to four.

The festival can accommodate up to 64 artists, but only eight signed up this year.