ROGERS PARK — The 24th annual Artists of the Wall Festival kicks off this weekend at Loyola Beach in Rogers Park.
The free fest runs from 9 a.m.-dusk Saturday and Sunday and will include 160 participants creating live their own original murals along a 600-foot portion of the sea wall between Morse and Farwell Avenues.
This year the artists' murals will be inspired by the lakefront theme "Making Waves."
From noon-5:30 p.m. both days participants and community members can head to the south end of the wall to soak in eight musical performances from acts such as Michele Thomas and SoulMeme, UGOCHI, The Herbal Remedies, The Pratt Cattz and more.
Originally launched more than two decades ago as a response to gang graffiti covering the wall, the community celebration of art has become one of the neighborhood's most-anticipated events each Father's Day weekend.
The murals are judged, winners are announced and the murals stay up until May the following year, when the wall is washed and repainted white for the next artists.
Festival goers are encouraged to bring chairs and picnic supplies to spend the day at the beach with neighbors.
