ALBANY, Ga. —  Albany Museum of Art’s “ChalkFest: Home Grown,” a new downtown Albany fall festival that will feature an all-star lineup of professional chalk artists, craft beer from around Georgia, live music and much more, is set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the 100 block of Pine Avenue.

“It’s hard to believe AMA ChalkFest is almost here,” Albany Museum of Art Executive Director Paula Williams said. “This is an event people are going to look forward to every fall. It’s a wonderful way to promote our mission of bringing together and building community through art.”

Mallory Black, chair of the AMA ChalkFest Committee, said the festival will have something for the entire family to enjoy. The City of Albany and Pretoria Fields Brewery have partnered with the museum to help bring AMA ChalkFest to Albany.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to bring this great event to the community,” Black said. “It reaches those who love to have fun, see art in a way that they may never have seen it before, and those who enjoy craft beer. It’s an event that the whole family can enjoy together on a Saturday.”

Admission tickets for AMA are on sale at AMAChalkfest.com. They also are available at the AMA, 311 Meadowlark Drive off Gillionville Road; Pretoria Fields Brewery, 120 Pine Ave., and the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) at 100 N. Front St.

“We hope everyone who hasn’t purchased a ticket will take advantage of the lower advance-sale prices,” Williams said. “Also, advance ticket sales can be done electronically. Tickets sold at the gate will be cash-only.”

Advance tickets are $65 for VIP Experience (21 and older only), $20 for admission with five beer tastings (21 and older), and $5 for admission without beer. Children 11 and younger are admitted free with parental supervision.

Tickets at the gate Saturday will be $75 for VIP Experience, $25 for admission with five beer tastings and $5 for admission without beer. Children 11 and younger are admitted free with parental supervision. (Please note that only cash will be accepted at the gates.)

Jessi Queen, one of the 11 chalk artists whose work will be featured Saturday, was in Albany this past Friday for a demonstration at Robert H. Harvey Elementary School on East Second Avenue. She travels throughout the United States and Europe creating large chalk murals.

“I’m really excited,” she said while watching elementary school students create a sidewalk mural in front of their school that featured their mascot, a Bulldog, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) concepts.

“There are a lot of Georgia artists coming (to AMA ChalkFest) that I know, so it’s always nice to get with all the artists and do our work together,” she said.

Queen was at the forefront of organizing Georgia chalk artists.

“My husband (Zach Herndon, who also will be at AMA ChalkFest) and I started the Georgia Chalk Artists Guild, trying to promote chalk art in Georgia,” she said.

Events that focus on chalk art are gaining in popularity. In Marietta, Chalktoberfest annually draws an estimated 100,000 visitors for its October weekend and attracts 80 chalk artists from across the U.S. and from other countries. In Venice, Florida, Chalk Festival is conducted over a four-day period. When that festival was conducted at its original home in Sarasota, Florida, it drew up to 250,000 people.

“I think in 2014 there was only one chalk art festival in Georgia,” Queen noted. “This year alone there’s five.”

Joining Queen and Herndon, both of Atlanta, at the Albany festival Saturday will be Meg Mitchell of Peachtrees Corners, Fawn DeRosia of Thomaston, Chelsea Austin of Atlanta, Brittany Williams of Griffin, Heather Cap of Fayetteville, James Wheeler of Lawrenceville, Cathryn Bozone of Atlanta, Beth Shistle of DeLaand, Florida, and Leigh Alfredson of Sanford, Florida.

Each will create a chalk mural at least 50 square feet in size in the street on Pine Avenue, which will be blocked off from the Albany Herald building at Washington Street to the Flint RiverQuarium at Front Street during AMA ChalkFest.

Several amateur artists and school groups also will get in the action, creating smaller chalk murals in the street.

Festival goers 21 and older will be able to sample a number of craft beers brewed in Georgia, including those of Pretoria Fields Brewery in Albany. Other breweries scheduled to participate are Cherry Street Brewery, Eventide, Macon Beer Company, Omaha Brewing Company, Orpheus Brewing, Piedmont Brewing Co., and SweetWater Brewing Company.

Live music will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the Evergreen Family Band, followed by the BANDages at 1:30 p.m. and Grand Ville at 3:30 p.m.

In addition to the art, craft beer and music, vendors and food trucks will be at the event.

Those who purchase beer-tasting tickets will receive a souvenir Pilsner beer glass.

VIP Experience ticketholders will receive a VIP parking pass for the parking lot adjacent to the AMA ChalkFest grounds; all-day access to the air-conditioned Pretoria Fields VIP Lounge, where they can enjoy food prepared by Georgia Grown Chef Todd White and a big-screen TV that will televise the Georgia-Missouri football game; a premium souvenir glass and unlimited beer tastings, and a souvenir tote bag.