First Merced Art Hop of the year is Saturday, rain or shine

The rain won’t stop the Merced Art Hop on Saturday, according to organizers. Art displays and activities will be moving indoors and tarps will be put up.

Eight years ago, Merced Art Hop came to downtown Merced, and since then local businesses and artists have worked together to showcase their creativity and encourage residents to see what downtown has to offer. Businesses stay open later and use their stores to display the art from 5 to 9 p.m.

“We don’t have street closures because we want people as close to the businesses as possible,” said Kevin Hammon, co-founder of the event. “Check out the businesses and see what they have to offer.”

The information booth and radio station that are usually in Bob Hart Square will still be there under canopies, Hammon said. However, the kids’ activities will be moved to the Merced Art Hop Gallery.

On Saturday, rain showers are likely from 4 to 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. High temperatures will reach the mid-50s and lows will be in the upper 40s.

There will be a few unique displays this time around, Hammon said, such as the Vector Star Wars Fan Film at the Multicultural Arts Center, which includes props and model ships. A Haitian Vodou and animation exhibit will also be new.

Individuals can compete in a live paint contest that also will be moved to the gallery, Hammon said. Their paintings have to coincide with the theme of this event – humanity. Art supplies will be available.

Participants have to be 18 or older and can win a showcase in the gallery or, for anyone 21 and older, St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl tickets.

“The arts are the foundation for most stuff, so it’s important that we support our local arts.” Hammon said.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 4:07 PM with the headline "First Merced Art Hop of the year is Saturday, rain or shine."