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With Artown’s summer arts festival entering its 15th year Thursday, executive director Beth Macmillan said she’s pleased with what the annual event has become.

“This year,” she said, “I don’t know if we could do it any better than it’s going to be.”

Artown, which began as a July-only festival, has evolved over the years, most notably with a recent shift to presenting marquee shows throughout the calendar year. Still, July is the organization’s busiest time, as it has hundreds of events scheduled between Thursday and July 31. They range from free, family-oriented performances on Monday nights and free world music concerts on Wednesdays to ticketed events, including a July 6 performance by folk musician Joan Baez and a cirque/music show with the Reno Chamber Orchestra on July 15.

A new direction

Patrons may notice that the 2010 festival has fewer big ticket “headliners” than in past years, but Macmillan said that is part of Artown organizers’ decision to produce shows outside July.

“The reason we don’t have as many headliners is because we’ve shifted,” she said. “We still have as many headliners if you look at 12 months.”

In other words, Artown organizers have chosen to move some of their big ticket items to months other than July, a decision that Macmillan said gives them flexibility and prevents ticketed events from competing with free offerings.

“We’re also responding to the community saying, ‘There’s too much going on,'” she said. “We really are responding to cries from the crowd and really making sure that they’re able to go to the free events and enjoy those. Then, if they want to invest in ticketed events, they don’t have to compromise.”

No-charge offerings

Macmillan said providing the community with free options continues to be an important part of Artown’s July festival. In fact, she said, 63 percent of the events at the 2010 festival are free. These include the festival’s opening- and closing-night celebrations, a Friday night movie series in Wingfield Park, concerts each Monday at Bartley Ranch Regional Park and a Thursday night dance series at Wingfield.