Ominous clouds and frequent torrential downpours did nothing to daunt the plucky festival planners and participants putting on the Urban Art Festival yesterday.  While a couple of booths closed up shop after the first main deluge soaked goods and spirits, festival-goers were treated to plenty of amusements and entertainments regardless of weather.

One of the highlights for me was the sight of the busty beauties wandering about the festival, putting their assets out front and center for the world to appreciate.  I particularly liked “knockers” and “hooters,” though all of them made me smile and giggle.

I loved what scribe Angela Jossy did with the Volcano space, and I loved seeing co-scribe Paul Schrag (and was that a Natasha sighting?).

Another highlight, both for the wee one and me, was the needle-punched felted creatures created in the i heart rummage booth by Laurie Sharp of woolpets â€" as well as the potions and lotions by Knelow cosmetics next to her. I loved the Hogbot art and seeing my Midsummer Soiree-creating friends as well as the new stuff I’d not yet seen.  The illustration-like art of Justin Hillgrove caught my morbid fancy, and the graffiti art in-process impressed me with its immediate, impromptu strength next to the club-like atmosphere of the Bank of America parking lot, where DJs spun and random acts of dance love occurred.

Not so random acts of dance love happened during Daniel Blue’s show, as well, a fun little romp about hot chicks and pirates.  And who know that Blue could sing? Or that Oliver Doriss could act?  It was exactly the kind of “only in Tacoma” event where music, fashion, dance, and art collided into a beautiful jumble observed by a huge, umbrella-ed crowd as the rain poured down.
That crowd, commanded by Blue to dance, did just that, a community moving as one with a standard poodle in their midst.

And the sun came out.

Of course it was at this point that kid hit critical-surly-mass, after jumping in the bounce house (a big hit!) making a mask with Leah Craven (cool stuff, there!) she decided, at that moment, she was DONE, and we had no choice but to make our way past the beer garden (hi friends, wish I was there!) and the stage where music played and Lulu Spice shook her tasseled hips next to Laura Eklund; their work might not yet be done, but they were enjoying the fruits of their labors.

The rain began again as we drove home, and I waited for the magic moment the sun would emerge again, knowing it would be Tacoma’s Urban Art Festival magic that would make that happen.