Activities and food galore are will be available today in downtown Laurinburg as the Laurinburg Downtown Revitalization Corporation hosts a Children's Arts Festival.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The festival will showcase students' hard-work in the art room while giving children fun activities.

"I'm very excited," said Barbara Alexander, LDRC administrative assistant. "We've got some really nice pieces of artwork. A lot of teachers are excited about it, as are there students"

The inaugural Children's Festival, a project Alexander has spent month's planning out, is expected to go off without a hitch by the administrative assistant.

"So far, we've had no other major hiccups," Alexander said. "I'll be glad when its over, but I'm excited for the day."

If it storms today, as some weather analysts predict, the event will still go on.

"We will continue with the festival. All of the people on the street will be under awnings so they won't get wet."

Businesses participating in the event are expected to provide a number of activities for children, such as face painting, chalk drawings and balloon animals.

A number of downtown merchants will also host events in their stores.

Food vendors and larger events will be located in the AB Gibson parking lot and Roper Street, especially as Main Street will remain open throughout the four-hour event.

"We felt like if we closed Main, it would be harder to get to," Alexander said.

She said that police have signed off on the idea but that closing the street may be a consideration for future children's festivals.

Roper Street, however, will be closed from Main to Atkinson.

The LDRC has also released a schedule of performances and a list of where art will be on display.

The dance troop performances will be:

• The Karen Gibson School of Dance will perform at 10 a.m. in the AB Gibson Parking Lot.

• Top Dawgz Cheer Gym will perform at 11 a.m. on Roper Street.

• Step 2 It will perform at 1 p.m. on Roper Street.

• Rhythm Explosion will perform at 1:30 p.m. in the AB Gibson Parking Lot.

The school art exhibits will be:

• Covington Street Elementary will have art on display at Scotland Drug

• Laurel Hill Elementary will have art on display at Shirt Tales

• North Laurinburg Elementary will have art on display at White’s Jewel Shop

• Wagram Elementary will have art on display at The Daily Grind

• Washington Park Elementary will have art on display at The Plaid Piper

• South Scotland Elementary will have art on display at Quick Copy

• Pate Gardner Elementary will have art on display at Time & Again Boutique

• Shaw Elementary will have art on display at Sugar & Spice Boutique

• I.E. Johnson Elementary will have art on display at Big Apple Fashions

• Sycamore Lane Middle will have art on display at Art By Design

• Carver Middle will have art on display at Top Dawgz Cheer Gym

• Spring Hill Middle will have art on display at Kimbrell’s Furniture

• Scotland High will have art on display at the Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast

• Scotland Christian Academy will have art on display at Christian Book Store

• Scotland Accelerated Academy will have art on display at Bill’s Mattress & Furniture