Sugar Hill to Host its Eighth Annual Sugar Rush Arts Festival
In October, visitors will celebrate art for two full days on Oct. 15 and 16. As a weekend-long event with live music, local vendors, food trucks, and live artisan demonstrations this year’s Sugar Rush promises to be bigger, better, and more artfully festive.
Saturday, October 15: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. with a free, general admission concert at 3 p.m.
Sunday, October 16: noon – 6 p.m. with a free animal show at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m.
Sugar Hill will welcome visitors for a free concert, Sugar Hill Live On Stage: LYRIC at The Bowl on Oct. 15, doors will open at 2 p.m. and LRYIC will perform at 3 p.m. This is a free, general admission concert. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets. LYRIC features 3 powerhouse women mashing up hits from every decade. Their diverse songbook of ingeniously crafted mashups will have every audience member singing along.
On Sunday, Oct. 16 at The Bowl, enjoy a live animal show by Wildlife Wonder – A Zoo To You at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., or 5 p.m.
Festival goers can watch talented, young, local artists live paint for the duration of the festival, student artists from Lanier and North Gwinnett High Schools will paint. The festival will also showcase live chalk artists and magicians. The finished live art pieces will be displayed on Nov. 15 through Jan. 6, 2023.
In addition to DIY crafts for all to bring home, Sugar Rush will have a juried art show representing local, regional, and international talent. 50 artists will have their mixed media artwork on display at Sugar Hill’s Art Gallery during festival hours on Saturday and Sunday. Juried pieces will be on display at the Sugar Hill Art Gallery on Nov. 4.
ALL STARS Performing Arts dancers will perform several times during Sugar Rush. Join dancers for an interactive dance where the ALL STARS will teach and perform dances themed to “Alien Dance” at 1 p.m. on Saturday and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. On The Stage Theatre Alliance will also perform on the various stages throughout the festival.
The festival’s music will feature performances by the Broad St. Concert Band, Sammy Shepard, Once a Rebel, North Gwinnett Middle School Guitar Ensemble, Bach to Rock, The Long Shots, KymBerli Dee, David Heyton, Lee Gamble, J Calvin Cartwright, and Alexis Tiborczszeghi. In between musical performances, visitors can participate in a pet costume contest, donut eating contest, and a costume contest.
Costume & Pet Costume Interest Form
Pet Costume Contest – Saturday, October 15 at 12:30 p.m.
Halloween Costume Contest – Sunday, October 16 at
Donut Eating Contest – Sunday, October 16 at noon
Inflatables will be spread throughout the festival on both days, located at the City Hall upper deck parking lot. Aerial Silk performances will be located at Cornerstone Park with shows every hour. At the Eagle Theatre Alfred Hitchcock movies will be showing on both days, free admission.
Saturday, October 15:
The Birds – 11:30 a.m.
Rear Window – 1:30 p.m.
Psycho – 4 p.m.
Sunday, October 16:
The Birds – 1 p.m.
Psycho – 3:30 p.m.
Public parking can be found at Sugar Hill Church and Sugar Hill Elementary School (open after 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.) A shuttle will be available for visitors to and from the festival. ADA parking will be located in the lower parking deck of City Hall. Road closures will be placed on W. Broad St., Church St., and Temple Dr.
If you are interested in volunteering, please click here to fill out a form.
