Hillsboro Hosts Central Texas’ Premier Art Festival

Bond’s Alley Art Festival is one of the premier Art Festivals in Central Texas and dates back to 1964.  This year’s event will be June 1st & 2nd, 2019 in Historic Downtown Hillsboro.  Festival hours are from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 9am to 3pm on Sunday.

The 2019 Featured Artists will be Texas legend, George Boutwell and World Carving Champion, Ronnie Zint. 

George Boutwell was Art Director for Texas Highways Magazine from 1966 to 1972 and became aware of the diversity of Texas during that time and this awareness has become the focus of his life’s work. In 2006, Boutwell was given the title of “Official Texas State Artist” by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Texas State Legislature.  George is a great friend of Hillsboro and has been a part of Bond’s Alley for decades now.  We’re honored to have George back in 2019.

Ronnie Zint made headlines recently as he became the first Texan to win the World Carving Competition.  Hillsboro is proud that Ronnie calls our community home.  He has been working with wood since he was 2 years old when his mother gave him a saw and screwdriver (it was a different time in the ’50s). He opened his own cabinet shop business in 1975. Although he is retired from cabinets and taking large orders he keeps busy creating plans for furniture, carving world-winning wildfowl art and playing with his 4 grandkids.

The Art Festival will be housed again in Historic Bond’s Alley, which is enough reason for a visit.  Bond’s Alley dates back to the first days of Hillsboro and is situated between what was once Texas’ Oldest Pharmacy, T.B. Bond Pharmacy, and Hillsboro’s oldest building, the Old Rock Saloon.  Come this year and see the new life at the T.B. Bond Pharmacy building as it has recently been transformed into the T.B. Bond Emporium.

Artists and Artisans will fill Bond’s Alley on Saturday and Sunday, but visitors will also have a chance to shop the many craft and food vendors along Gould Street, just off of Bond’s Alley.  There will also be art activities for the children.

Come early to enjoy the Hillsboro Farmer’s Market and stay all day to enjoy the shops, restaurants, and entertainment that Downtown Hillsboro has to offer!