BRIDGEPORT — The young artists of Bridgeport Exempted Village School District invite the community to the Bridgeport Fine Arts Festival noon to 4 p.m. Saturday in the cafetorium. Students at Bridgeport High School will present their artwork for sale alongside local artists.

Art teacher Mindy Sears said the school has held the art festival for several years. Students are thrilled by the opportunity to exercise their creativity and put their work in front of the public.

“I have 30 art club members that are a part of this festival,” she said. They will help out during the event. “They stay all day. They really look forward to it. They love it and it keeps my program pretty big.”

The festival also hosts area artists as vendors alongside Bridgeport High School students. Sears welcomes Joshua Bommer of AKA Bomtron, Scott Hanson Illustrations, Vx4, Haunted Holistics, Lone Stone Design, Sara Cunningham, 2 Girls and a Kiln, Little One Crystal, Hollow Skull, Shapeless Flame and Mel’s Alternative Images.

Sears said some familiar faces will also be present.

“We also have some alumni coming. A couple that were my students that are going to come and sell their art here, which I’m kind of excited about,” she said. They are Destiny Harris of Hollow Skull and Taylor Duncan. “It will be good to see them back in the building.”

The fair will feature face painting, coloring pages, temporary tattoos and games for young children, as well as cupcakes and desserts made by a local grandmother.

The art fair draws considerable foot traffic as the community turns out to see what students have been working on throughout the year.

In addition, Sears said local artists show students by example that they do not have to leave the area to make and sell artwork and have an impact on the community. Many are successful, and some sell their art nationwide.

“We have a very generous artist community, and it’s nice for them to feel like they’re a part of it,” Sears said. She said this makes a difference for her students.

“This kind of opens the door and allows them to feel comfortable in this kind of setting and encourages them to attend more art festivals, and it has worked. I have seen them at more local art festivals because of this art festival.”

The art festival also serves as a fundraising opportunity for the art club and other school organizations.

“It allows me to take them on field trips. This year they’ve researched their own field trip and where they would like to go. They chose the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. I’ll be taking them there pretty much directly after the festival.”

The band boosters will have a food stand, and a 50/50 and basket raffle will benefit the Close-Up program, which gives students an opportunity to go to Washington, D.C.