Downtown Gainesville transformed into a bustling bazaar of white tents Saturday and Sunday.
The 26th annual Downtown Festival & Art Show attracted more than 100,000 people, who browsed an eclectic selection of art including paintings, quilts and fork-and-spoon mobiles.
More than 700 artists vied for the 250 available spaces in the show, said director Linda Piper, of the City of Gainesville's Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
Each artist was chosen and scored by a team of jurors in June, she said.
Festival judges gave out more than ,14,000 in prizes to the participating artists using the money artists paid to register booths.
The ,2,000 prize for best in show this year went to Garry Seidel, of Davie, and his photography.
"I always have a large following, but that's an added bonus," he said.
Seidel has been attending the festival on and off for 15 years, he said, but has never won its best-in-show award before.
His favorite piece this year was a black-and-white photograph of a man walking past a neon graffiti-covered Berlin Wall, he said.
Aften Detwiler, a UF graduate student, said looking at photography is her favorite part of the show, though this year she only bought curly fries.
Detwiler said this was her third year coming to the show, and she attended both days.
Piper said she credited the show's good turnout this year to the beautiful weather and an evening football game Saturday.
Chino Leong, owner of The Gelato Company downtown, said the festival kept the store busy and increased business.
"The art festival probably doubles or triples it," he said.
Piper said the show brings tourism to Gainesville, filling the streets and local hotels.
"This show is nationally recognized as one of the top 10 art shows in the country," she said.
The festival pays for itself every year, Piper said. Any extra profit goes toward the next year's advertising.
Gainesville artist Eleanor Blair based this year's advertising campaign, including a poster and ,15 T-shirt, on a painting of the Thomas Center fountain.
"I just happened to have my camera with me. It was beautiful, perfect light. I decided it would be fun to paint," said Blair, who lives near the Thomas Center.
