Dust to dust

No matter what you do on Labor Day, you’re bound to get dusty. Head out to Burning Man, and the playa dust will cling to you for weeks. Visit Old Sacramento for Gold Rush Days, and you’ll be up to your ankles in the dirt they truck in to cover the pavement for that 1850s look. Go rafting, step onto the river bank in your wet gear and watch the dust form a mud slick on your skin. Horse racing at the State Fair? Dust. Taking the kids to the playground? Dust. Staying home and cleaning out your garage? Dust.

If, as it would seem, getting dusty is an inevitable side effect of Labor Day fun, the only recourse is to choose the most appealing form of said particulate matter. How about chalk dust? It’s beautifully colored, usually non-toxic and often arranged in aesthetically pleasing images. There will be dozens of such images at the annual Chalk It Up! to Sacramento festival.

More than 150 artists will devote their three-day weekend to creating works of sidewalk beauty on the concrete border of Fremont Park. It’s a unique opportunity to see visual art in progress. Local bands, including Fortunate Few, Bob’s Child, ¡Búcho!, Call Me Ishmael, Luvtaxi and Velvet Fury, will entertain the spectators and sustain the artists throughout the weekend. If you feel inspired, you can even buy your own 2-foot-square space to color. Free children’s activities, and food and craft vendors will round out the experience.

The festival happens from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Admission is free. Fremont Park is located at 15th and P streets. Call (916) 484-5710 or visit www.chalkitup.org for more information.