The 52^nd Annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival® (CGAF) presented by Terra Group returns this Presidents Day weekend, February 14-16. Also right in time for Valentine’s Day, art lovers can once again rely on CGAF’s award-winning visual, culinary and performing arts to make them swoon, as it brings the most talented artists from across North America to Coconut Grove.

Regarded as America’s most popular outdoor fine arts exhibition, artists from more than 47 U.S. states and Canada were among the nearly 1,000 applicants who submitted samples to CGAF in mixed media, painting, photography, digital art, printmaking & drawing, watercolor, claywork, glass, fiber, jewelry & metalwork, sculpture and wood.  Twenty-seven local artists from the Miami area and more than 110 from Florida were also invited to showcase.

A favorite component of the annual event, the Culinary Pavilion will again host top name chefs from the hottest restaurants and hotels in South Florida with demonstrations beginning every day at noon.  Highlighting this year’s culinary roster is Food Network champion Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli, Island cuisine master Chef Irie and Private Chef to the celebrities Richard Ingraham.

Yet, one of the biggest announcements for the Arts Festival this year is its partnership withMiami New Times. Programming the three days of live entertainment,Miami New Times will bring national touring acts to the main stage lineup in Peacock Park.

Headlining the list of eclectic groups ready to groove in the Grove include the self-described one-man “Island-infused, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Gospel-Ninja-Soul” band Zach Deputy; award-winning, psychedelic southern rock band Bright Light Social Hour; and the wildly unapologetic and kazoo-wielding Beebs & Her Honeymakers.

Finally, amateur painters can attend “Learn to Paint” workshops hosted by Jerry’s Artarama Miami and held daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden; while the Children’s Trust Art Alley returns this year with an interactive Kids’ Area that encourages children, ages 2-12, to also express their imagination and creativity through hands-on workshops.

Festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission to the Arts Festival is $15 per person, per day.  Children 12 and under are free. Residents of Coconut Grove in the 33133 zip code can enjoy the Festival for a reduced admission of $5 (proof of residency required).

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival (CGAF) is produced by the non-profit Coconut Grove Arts and Historical Association. Proceeds help fund year-round arts programs.  The association also maintains the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Gallery and presents special exhibitions throughout the year from its location at the Mayfair in the Grove.

For more information, daily event schedules or to purchase tickets for the Coconut Grove Arts Festival online, visit www.CGAF.com.