The Art in the Park T-shirt art was created by Foley High School senior Tori Blackmon. Blackmon was also awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

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Every Mother's Day weekend for the past 50 years, the heart of Foley has filled with artists, locals and tourists. Foley's Art in the Park event is one of the largest and longest running events in the city and starts tomorrow.

Over the past 50 years, the Art in the Park event has evolved from an auction, held at the American Legion, to a juried show for fine arts and crafts. The original auction started as a way to raise money to bolster the art programs in the local schools and support Baldwin County artists. Now the event attracts artists and tourists from across the country.

As the event continues to grow, the vision and focus on supporting local artists and students continues.

"The Foley Art Center hosts Art in the Park as a way to raise money for local art programs. One of the ways this great event supports local students is by highlighting one artist's creation on the annual T-shirt. This year's art is by Foley High School senior Tori Blackmon. The Foley Art Center awarded Tori a $1,000 scholarship for her work, as well as The Linda Koniar Emerging Artist Award," said Kelly Crosby, Art in the Park co-chair.

Visitors can expect to find the shade-filled and charming Heritage Park full of unique artwork and traditional arts and crafts. The wide variety of food at this year's event ranges from faithful festival food to designer charcuterie board and salad boxes.

The 50th Annual Art in the Park event takes place Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 8 from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. Heritage Park is located at 125 East Laurel Avenue in Foley. For more information visit foleyartcenter.com or call (251) 943-4381.