Five Hills Art Festival set for Friday, Saturday

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press 

The Five Hills Art Guild is holding its 3rd annual festival that kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. in Copperas Cove City Park.
Artists and artisans from the local area, as well as artists from San Saba and Brownwood to the west and as far as New Braunfels and Columbus, Texas to the south and southeast, will display and sell handcrafted metal art, painting, drawing, mixed media, woodworking, jewelry, photography, as well as items like handcrafted soap, candles, needlework and more.
In keeping with the Go Green! Theme for this year’s festival, several exhibitors will be showing and selling their green-themed work, metal work, rugs woven from old sheets, along with upcycled items. A local new business in Central Texas that provides composting pickup service will be on hand to show festival-goers all about composting. Malachi Muncy, a guild member, will be holding papermaking demonstrations throughout the festival. 
New for this year is the addition of a Friday night a step team talent show, martial arts and dance performances. Face painting and henna tattoos will be available. 
On Saturday, the festival runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. with more artists and live entertainment from Rare Dog, The Storm’s I, as well as musician and vocalist Katy Starr of Austin joined by D-Madness, who has previously performed with Stevie Wonder. 
Dance performances by the Central Texas Bellydancing Association, GymKix, and the Double C’s Square Dancers will take place at the Fester’s House stage area. 
Returning this year is the duo of Razzy and Randel Live Art and Music, from New Braunfels, who will bring their unique blend of performance and live art to their space under the trees. 
A lineup of food trucks will be on site, to include Snofellas, Kettle CornUtopia, Er’ Thang Cajun, Steak Express, and Big Dog BBQ. 
Parking and admission to the festival are free. 
The Five Hills Art Festival was announced by the Copperas Cove Leader-Press newspaper earlier this year as the “Best Community Event” as voted on by readers who submitted ballots throughout the months of November and December 2017. 
The now two-day event takes place one week after the guild unveiled its fourth mural, located at the Ledger Furniture building, located on the corner of Main Street and Avenue D.