Things start happening Wednesday for the eighth annual Arts in Motion Saturday, which actually starts Friday.

Hunter Ice Festival carvers Burr “Buddy” Rasmussen and the Rev. Butter of Team Texas on transform a tree Wednesday into a baby elephant in the lot by French Market for the first piece of Main Street permanent public art.

Friday night at 8, Team Texas, plus Jeff Kaiser from Pennsylvania and Danny Bloss from Niles, will cool off a hot week with an inaugural warm weather “ice fight.“

Timed ice carving takes place at Riverfront Park Amphitheater.

Hunter Ice Cream will be sold.

“Arts in Motion celebrates art in all forms. We’re fun and interactive,” said Lisa Croteau, program manager for Niles DDA Main Street.

Art gets circulating on Saturday with Niles Art Association’s first sketch crawl at five venues throughout town from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Kar Club’s Gear Head Afternoon downtown with the old guy vs. young guy engine build-off between Niles High School’s Hot Rodders of Tomorrow vs. the Bring It Supercar Club from 1 to 4 p.m.; the downtown pizza crawl ($5 gets you tastes of all entrants’ pies and voting tickets for best cheese, best specialty and most original pizza); kids activities and crafts; community murals of the masters; more tree carving; and paint the art car.

Friday night at dusk “Grease” is the word in free Friday Movies in the Park, sponsored by Tom Rasler AAA Insurance.

For entertainment, there will be free concerts at Main and Third streets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at Riverfront Amphitheater from 4:30 to 10 p.m for the 50^th birthday bash for concert organizer Tom Majerek.

Main Street stage

11 — Hey Annie, an acoustic trio playing classic rock and originals

1 — Ryan Adams

2 — Scott Thalman

3 — Savannah Smith

Riverfront Park Amphitheater

4:30 — Hey Annie

5:20 — Ryan Adams

6 — Scott Thalman

6:40 — Savannah Smith

7:30 — Harpeth Rising, a classically trained bluegrass quartet

9— Fillmore’s Ladder, Michiana’s jam band

For more information, contact Niles Main Street at (269) 687-4332 or
info@uncoverniles.com.

Park Yourself in Niles

Calling all artists for the roll out of the 2013 public art project “Park Yourself in Niles” painted student-built benches.

You’ll have all summer to submit a design. Twenty will be chosen.

Completed benches will be previewed in January at the Hunter Ice Festival.