The Wheaton Arts Parade is a day for artists, businesses, and civic organizations to come together, walking to celebrate art and the Wheaton community. On this day, anybody can be an artist and everybody in the parade is pushing, pulling, carrying, wearing or performing their art. At the end of this March for Art, the community gathers at a festival to continue the celebration. The day is inspired by the parade and the closure of roadways to motor vehicles so that people can walk and dance, play music and show off their art. The parade liberates the community's creative spirit from the confines of everyday life. Freed from their cars, people can appreciate Wheaton at a slower pace, as a walkable community. The highway becomes a path toward creativity and the arts parade calls the community to follow. The parade leads to a festival that continues the celebration of art and Wheaton's diversity. It is a time to gather in one place and eat together, to listen to music and readings, watch dance, view paintings and sculpture, to talk to each other and even make art. It is a chance for artists to exhibit and sell their work, but most importantly it is a time for local artists to be appreciated by the community and each other and for the community to see Wheaton's potential as an arts destination. The Parade begins as 10 am. The Festival exhibits and food sales open at the same time. Live entertainment begins after the parade. The Festival will end at 5pm. The parade and festival will take place “rain or shine.”