SANFORD, Fla. – Historic Downtown Sanford is welcoming back an event that draws thousands of visitors to the district. The annual St. Johns River Festival of the Arts is back this weekend. 

Local artist Chelsea Smith has a booth on Main Street to demonstrate her work in copper plate etching printmaking. 

"I include my printing press and I have everything out so I can kind of demo the process. The technique I use is from the 1600s, 1500s," she said. 

Over 100 regional and national artists will set up outside the storefronts and shops of Historic Downtown Sanford. Organizers are expecting a record setting crowd and estimating a $10 million economic impact. 

Festival Treasurer, Liz Darwick, explained, "The revenue that comes from this art festival we expect over 65,000 people this year, and it doesn't take much to do the math."

Smith hopes those visitors will stop by her booth 37 on Main Street so she can connect with people at her first show in almost two years.

Admission and parking are free. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Proceeds benefit the Art-For-Kids Scholarship program.