Fourteen arts institutions in the Hillsborough Street district have joined together for the 2nd Annual Art It Up! weekend taking place Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18.

Charles Phaneuf, executive director of Raleigh Little Theatre, said, “It is hard to find another section of the city with such a high concentration of arts, culture and recreation assets. Art It Up! gives us a chance to show off the diversity and accessibility of these resources in a walkable neighborhood.”

From Meredith College to the west all the way down east of the corridor to Irregardless Cafe, the weekend holds something for all tastes and pocket books. Many of the weekend’s events are free and open to the public, including an open dance rehearsal for A Christmas Carol at Theatre in the Park, a dance show at the Alexander Family YMCA, and an open house and salon sale at Pullen Arts Center. Advance tickets are recommended for performances of Skippyjon Jones in Stewart Theatre, The Rivals at Raleigh LIttle Theatre and Belleville, the first production by Sonorous Road Productions, the new black box theatre on Oberlin Road.

A seafood boil and art auction benefiting the NC Coastal Federation will mark the official kick-off to Art It Up! Raleigh Brewing Company, in partnership with NC Fresh Catch, will host the seafood boil while local artists and students from the College of Design at NC State undertake a live art demonstration. The event starts at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16. The NC Coastal Federation is the only non-profit organization focused exclusively on protecting and restoring the coast of North Carolina. Only 200 tickets are available for the seafood boil and they can be purchased through the NC Fresh Catch website www.ncfreshcatch.com/artitup.

The weekend wraps up with a horse-drawn theatre production by the Rural Academy Theatre on the campus of NC State in the lush Stafford Commons outside of the new Talley Student Center. The performance is free and is presented by ARTS NC State and the Gregg Museum at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, October 18.

A full list of events, times and details can be found on the Art It Up! web site at www.hillsboroughstreet.org/ArtItUp2015.