The Bayou City Art Festival holds the downtown portion of its biannual festival this weekend. Don't let the dreary weekend forecast deter you — the line-up of events this weekend will ensure fun for everyone, rain or shine.

Downtown Houston will be transformed into an outdoor gallery on Saturday and Sunday. Festival gates open at 10:00 a.m., and for $12 (entrance is free for BCAF members and children 12 and under), you can spend the day surrounded by more than 300 artists from around the country and enjoy performances by dancers and musicians and artist demonstrations.

In addition to the typical festival line-up, BCAF has a few special exhibits — Art on Water at the Reflection Pool and a unique Portable On Demand Art Project — as well as a few other surprises in store to help celebrate the event's 40th anniversary.

One special addition is Houdini's Heist, an after-hours VIP event on Saturday. For an extra ticket fee, you can attend a cocktail hour beginning at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, magic, and other entertainment at 7 p.m. Depending on the ticket level, attendees can walk away with a free piece of art.

Flamenco guitarist Guillermo Serpas; CORE Performance Dance Company; MECA Mariachi and Ballet Folklorico; Houston's own "Indonesian Orchestra," Space City Gamelan; WindSync and many more will take the Houston Arts Alliance stage on Saturday and Sunday.

String Theory, an LA-based troupe of musicians and dancers who create sonic sculptures, will also perform throughout the weekend, transforming the Art Colony Association stage into an installation and an instrument.

For the foodie, Art of Food will offer a variety of multicultural culinary treats — have your pick of American, Asian, Cajun, Greek and Indian fare as well as chocolate, sweets and even mac 'n cheese. Adults can find libations at the Art of Wine.

Children can stay entertained at the Gexa Energy Creative Zone with interactive art projects including wax hand sculptures, mini art cars, monochrome photos, cut paper decorations, masks and jewelry and more. All of the activities are free.

Tickets are available online at the Bayou City Art Festival website, or you can pay cash on the day of the event. Find FAQs here, and Twitter updates here.