Downtown Palo Alto became a hub of creative activity over the weekend with the 28th annual Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, sponsored by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce.

Held on Aug. 22-23 on a segment of University Avenue between High and Webster Streets, the festival featured live music, food vendors and the work of over 300 artists. Sculptors, jewelers, painters and photographers displayed their works, many of them for sale, in tents on the street. Bay Area residents who attended the fair were able to enjoy two days of sun, walking, chatting with the artisans and observing Italian street painters at work.

Over 60 such student and professional chalk painters dedicated their weekend to the recreation of works of art on the pavement of Tasso Street, accompanied by classical music from the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra. According to Paly junior and four-time street painter Alexi Kenney, the Italian Street Painting Expo is a particularly rewarding experience for young art students.

“I’m very interested in art,” Kenney said of his motivation for participating in the street painting. “I found out about [the festival] through an art teacher at Jordan [Middle School], who encouraged me to submit an entry.”

The colorful chalk drawings that emerged on the street were a highlight of the fair not only for painters, but also for spectators watching from the sidewalk.

“It’s very nice seeing the progression of the artwork,” senior and spectator Natalie Campen said.

The Italian Street Painting Expo, sponsored by KDFC radio, will benefit the Palo Alto Partners in Education.