The colorful arts community that illuminates the Sixth Avenue business district will have its day in the sun July 13 when the tenth annual Art on the Ave opens at 11 a.m. The outdoor festival, held between Cedar and Trafton streets, offers a lot to see, do and hear with food and beer gardens, art and community vendors lining the avenue, bands playing on two outdoor stages, a car show, street performers, and artists doing what they do best - making art live and in person.

This is Rose Peterson’s first year to coordinate the event. Peterson said she got involved as an organizer this year because she wanted to help increase the number of local artists involved. “It’s been very fun,” she said, reflecting back on the early days of Art on the Ave when just a couple hundred people attended. “It’s grown so much. Last year 12,000 people showed up.” She said this year, upwards of 15,000 are expected.

Something special about Art on the Ave is that it doesn’t seem to feel overly crowded. While many drive in from all parts to enjoy the day, the streets are wide and the layout of the attractions are arranged such that foot traffic flows nicely and there’s no battling huge waves of people. This makes for an even more pleasant time for everyone, and offers onlookers easier access to watch artists at work, like Dionne Bonner who will be painting a mural on the asphalt at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Pine Street that will remain there long after the festival is over.

Bonner’s subject matter for the mural, an octopus, will reflect the theme of this year’s Art on the Ave, “Under Water.” Focusing on this environmentally sound theme, organizers hope to illustrate that eco-friendly is the way to go. For example, Richard Thompson, better known as “Solar Richard,” will be manning the power supply for the Jazzbones music stage.

There will be much more live art being created as well throughout the day, including another mural that’s going to be painted on the back of Schuck’s Auto Supply at 2901 Sixth Ave. Its theme will reflect the new Sixth Avenue Farmer’s Market that opens July 15. At other locations along the Ave, glassblowers will be doing their thing at a portable “hot shop,” and many other artists will be drawing, painting or making jewelry at their vendor booths.

Festival-goers can also keep an eye out for five new pieces of permanent public art scattered along the Ave, surplus 1970s urban renewal planters sponsored by Sixth Avenue Merchants Association. There will also be painted “art doors” made by several community artists set up around the Ave that will be auctioned off July 24 at Sanford and Son as a fundraiser for Tacoma’s upcoming Glassroots Art Festival (August 24).

Returning this year will be the popular dunk tank near Northwest Costume at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Steele Street, which attracts good-natured “victims” like Tacoma City Council members Lauren Walker and Jake Fey, municipal court judge David Ladenburg, members of the roller derby team Dockyard Derby Dames, and others.

Near O’Malley’s Irish Pub at 2403 Sixth Ave., a car show sponsored by AAA will exhibit classic cars, electric cars, scooters and maybe an art car or two.

Two live music stages sponsored by Jazzbones and O’Malley’s Irish Pub will be in full swing all day, and “Venue Under the Trees” will offer free street performances by Shakespeare in the Parking Lot (12:30 p.m.), Grant Center for the Expressive Arts (2 p.m.), Dockyard Derby Dames (2:30 p.m.) and Action Dance Academy (3:30 p.m.).

The official program for the event is inserted in this week’s edition of Tacoma Weekly. For additional information, visit www.artontheave.org.