VISTA -- Creativity will take center stage in downtown's Vista Village shopping complex Oct. 21, when the Vista Unified School District holds its annual Festival of the Arts.

Hundreds of students in kindergarten through 12th grade will participate in the event, which will feature paintings, drawings and sculptures, as well as music, dance, poetry and theater.

"It's just a really, really positive atmosphere," said Roger Royster, an art teacher at Rancho Buena Vista High School. "It's a huge amount of fun."

The free festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Vista Village center, with Main Street closed to through traffic between Starbucks and Lamppost Pizza from 6 a.m. until the event closes and all artwork and equipment are removed.

Last year more than 900 students performed at the festival and more than 1,000 pieces of artwork were displayed. This year, organizers are expecting even more students to participate, including children from nearly every school in the district, said Anne Fennell, an organizer and teacher at Vista Academy for Visual and Performing Arts.

The festival will feature a large display of art by students from the elementary, middle and high schools. There will also be performances by bands, traditional and show choirs, drum ensembles and classical music ensembles and orchestras. Drama students will perform monologues and musical theater pieces, dance students will perform original choreography, and a puppet show will be presented. There will also be hands-on craft tables, face-painting, sand-painting and other activities for small children.