DELAND, Fla. — As the Fall Festival of the Arts gets ready to start, downtown DeLand will soon turn into an artist’s paradise.

DeLand’s biggest event of the year, the festival will kick off Saturday and continue into Sunday.

Organizers say more than 100 artisans will take to the streets to show off and sell their artwork to the public.

Event organizer Mallory Fernandez said the event is expected to draw in some 50,000 people to the downtown area.

“The Festival of the Arts DeLand is the biggest weekend for downtown DeLand," she said. "They block off the streets. No fee to get in — it’s free to the public. They can walk around as much as they like."

Jack Hill, a local artist who will be attending the festival, said he enjoys coming to the art show.

“It’s a well-done show with a lot of hard-working people and a great variety of artists," he said. "And there is a comradery among the artists that do the outdoor shows."

For 30 years, Hill has been carving out his niche in the art world by creating bronze statues that he sells around the world.

“You know, when somebody buys a sculpture from me, they bought an heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation,” he said.

His sculptures often take between four to six months to complete — they start as a clay mold that is used to create a bronze statute.

Hill says his art often sells for thousands of dollars, depending on the piece.

The Fall Festival of the Arts runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit the Fall Festival of the Arts Deland website.