Though music and art isn't the main focus of Saturday's Noble Street Festival in Anniston, it's always been a part of the entertainment. Instead of the normal stage and several bands, this year's festival features a music café, which is a large dining tent that fits nearly 200 people located in front of the Spirit of Anniston building on Noble Street. There patrons can eat and sit in the shade while listening to local acoustic singer/songwriters.

"Donations are down and budgets are a little smaller," said Jack Plunk, who organized the music for the festival. "We can only do so much."

The music is scheduled to begin at about 11:30 Saturday, Plunk said, and each artist will play for about an hour and a half. Singers Abby Parks, Keith Parker, Judson Leonard and duo Abram and Sarah will perform.

Money has not affected this year's Bike pARTs sculpture contest, but it has had a few changes. This year, sculptors could self-select their work as either amateur or professional, said Betsy Bean, executive director of Spirit of Anniston.

"We also recruited the Sloss Furnace metal arts program," she said. "They'll be judging."

Judging will take place on Saturday morning, and the sculptures will be displayed on the medians and sidewalks of Noble Street for the duration of the festival. They will later be moved to the windows of downtown businesses.

On Friday night, Art Works Gallery on Noble Street is having its spring reception for two area artists. While the reception is not in conjunction with the festival, the gallery always receives new artists on the first Friday in May, which happens to be the kickoff for the festival, said Betty Mills, president of East Alabama Artists Inc., the nonprofit organization that runs the gallery.

Becky Kennedy, a painter and potter from Albertville, and Anne Wedler, a painter, are the new artists.

Kennedy has been making art for about 20 years, and was one of the first artists to join the gallery when it opened in 2000. She had taken a break for personal reasons, but is back and is predominantly featuring her pottery in this exhibit.

Anne Wedler, originally from St. Louis, moved to Alabama to join the art department at Jacksonville State University in January and teaches drawing, painting and art foundations. She calls her paintings "narrative still life" because she tries to animate inanimate objects, such as a painting of an apple and a plant having a conversation.

The reception runs from 5-8 p.m. Friday. There is no charge to attend.

For a Noble Street Festival guide, go to www.annistonstar.com/noblestreetfestival.

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Art works spring reception

What: Features works of regional artists Becky Kennedy and Anne Wedler

When: Friday, 5-8 p.m.

Where: 921 Noble St., Anniston

How much: Free and open to the public

Contact: 237-1259