Grammy nominee and Blues Music Award winner Ruthie Foster will be the concert headliner at the 8th annual The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, a Showcase of Visual and Performing Arts set for Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 from 10 am – 6 pm along The Woodlands Waterway® and in Town Green Park. Foster is scheduled to perform at 3 pm on Sunday, April 14 on the Palette Café Stage, near The Woodlands Waterway.

Texas native Ruthie Foster is a consecutive Blues Music Award Winner, winning Best Contemporary and Best Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year. She was also recently nominated for a Grammy for Best Blues Album, Let It Burn, and in 2009 was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for The Truth According to Ruthie Foster. She is a multiple winner at the Austin Music Awards, winning Best Female Vocalist in 2007-2008 and Best Folk Artist in 2004-2005.

Foster’s newest album, Let It Burn, is “a captivating blend of soul, blues, gospel, New Orleans funk, folk, rock and R&B,” stated the Los Angeles Times.

Patrons of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival enjoy a full schedule of performing arts concerts throughout the festival weekend, according to Festival Director Jenny Wright. In addition to Foster’s performance, the schedule includes Emily Elbert, The Grace Wright Quartet, Level One Band, Step Rideau, Zydeco Outlaws, Texas Johnny Boy with Milton Hopkins, and Texas Johnny Brown.

Ranked #9 among the Top 100 Arts Festivals in the U.S. by ArtFair Source Book, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival attracted more than 15,000 people last year. This juried arts festival features over 200 artists displaying a variety of original artwork in mediums including clayworks, digital art, drawing/pastels, fiber, glass, jewelry, metalworks, mixed media 2D and 3D, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, wood and emerging artists.

For detailed information about the festival and to purchase tickets online ($10 or $15 for a weekend pass; children 12 and under admitted free), visit www.woodlandsartsfestival.com.

Just because you’re visiting The Woodlands doesn’t mean you can’t join the locals for great Happy Hours. Check out these great finds:

Visit www.MicheleFlory.com for more information on The Woodlands community and real estate.

The incredible sights and sounds of the holidays will be in action throughout The Woodlands, from the bright, twinkling holiday lights in Town Green Park to the majestic, choreographed Fountains at Waterway Square, which will perform to a selection of festive holiday tunes throughout the holiday season.

In addition to eight illuminated doves on Lake Robbins Bridge, Donoho’s Jewellers Winter Wonderland, surrounding The Ice Rink at The Woodlands Town Center at the northeast corner of Lake Robbins and Six Pines Drive, visitors of all ages can stroll through an extraordinary fantasyland of magical, lighted toy soldiers, elves, doves, musical angels and snowmen every night from dusk until 11 p.m. Admission to Donoho’s Jewellers Winter Wonderland is free and open to the public November 17, 2012 through January 21, 2013.
For more information, visit www.VisitTheWoodlands.com.

While The Woodlands is experiencing explosive home sales, our inventory of homes for sale is at an 8-year low. Tomorrow, we will look at home sales activity.

If you can’t wait until tomorrow, visit Market Reports now.

Speaking of explosive growth, view the video presentation by The Woodlands Development on proposed commercial construction in The Woodlands Town Center.