The first Plano Artfest will be held at McCall Plaza on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.[/caption] Plano Artfest kicks off at 10 a.m. Sept. 17 at McCall Plaza, 998 E. 15th St. This free event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will include an artist village, local performances, film screenings, food trucks, galleries and exhibits, kids crafts and the return of Chalk-It-Up, last year's chalk art competition. Here are four things to know about Artfest before the festival kicks off.

1. Inaugural year: This year is the first year for the Plano Artfest, but plans for next year are already in the works, said Michelle Hawkins, administrator of arts, culture and heritage for the city of Plano. The Historic Downtown Plano Association and the city want Artfest to become one of the larger festivals in downtown, she said.
2. Location and parking: Artfest will take place at McCall Plaza and its adjoining parking lot. While the McCall Plaza parking lot will be closed for the event, guests will still have access to Dallas Area Rapid Transit's 15th Street Station, said Hawkins. There are also a variety of free public parking lots in Downtown Plano.
3. Local, Local, Local: This festival focuses on local Plano artists, including Plano Metropolitan Ballet, Art Centre Theatre, Men of Note, Plano Children's Theatre, The Plano Dance Theatre and Collin County Ballet Theatre. Hawkins said the city and HDPA want to showcase Plano artists to prove that residents do not need to travel to Dallas to enjoy art.
4. Events: Festival events include kids crafts, galleries and art exhibits, live performances, a chalk competition and food trucks. For a complete list of Saturday's events, visit www.planoartfest.com.
5. Volunteer: Plano Artfest is looking for volunteers for to work the information tent, kids crafts, apprentice studio, hospitality, chalk registration and set up/take down. If interested, sign up here or contact Haley Gatlin at [email protected] or Alex Hargis at [email protected] for more information.