PHOTOS: 2013 Safety Harbor Chalk Festival

The 2013 edition of Safety Harbor's Bloom N Art N Chalk Fest could be considered a success for just one simple reason: for the first time in its five-year history, it didn't rain during the event!

But organizers, artists and patrons were happy with the downtown chalk art festival for more reasons than just Mother Nature being cooperative for a change.

The two-day event drew crowds and artists from all over the Tampa Bay area, the state of Florida and the country to either participate in or be witness to the creation of some truly incredible works of art, and most came away impressed with the art and the community.

"This is a great community" Dave Lepore, a West Palm Beach artist who took home the award in the Americana category for his stunning James Dean portrait, said. "They really embrace art here."

Alice Crittenden, a renowned chalk artist from California, echoed Lepore's thoughts about Safety Harbor.

"This community really embraces us," she said. "It's one of the few places I've gone where I feel that I am highly valued, and I've been all over the United States, to Mexico and to Germany."

"This isn't the biggest chalk art festival," she added, "but the camaraderie between the artists and the love given to the artists is by far the best I've ever seen. I'm honored to be part of it."

Speaking of getting bigger, event co-chair Stacy Roth spoke about expanding the festival during her speech at the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the event.

Roth said she and fellow co-chair Bobbie Wheeler will get an immediate head start on planning next year's festival in hopes of growing the event.

"Five years ago we were the first one of these in Pinellas County. Now everyone is doing it," Roth told the crowd. 

"Normally we take a couple of months off to recuperate, but we've got so many great ideas we're going to start meeting right away to make next year bigger and better than ever."

Here is a list of the category winners for the 2013 Bloom N Art N Chalk Fest, along with plenty of photos from the event. If you have any pictures you'd like to add, feel free to upload them right here.

• Under the Sea: Nate Baranowski (sponsored by Harbour Arts)
• Americana: David Lepore (sponsored by Brian's Barber Shop)
• World of Flowers: Cass Womack (sponsored by Safety Harbor Garden Club)
• Wild Things: Dorothy Sabaen (event sponsored)
• Mother and Child: Truman Adams (event sponsored)
• People's Choice: Shane Mesmer 

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