BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- One of Bakersfield's staple events, the Via Arté street painting festival, is set to transform the Marketplace's parking lot into canvases of art Saturday and Sunday. Nine-time returning artist, Esai Mendez, will be this year's featured artist. Mendez is a CSU Bakersfield graduate and took home the People's Choice Award in 2017 for his rendition of a portrait of famed surrealist Salvador Dali. Breast Cancer Awareness month: Self-screening exams essential in preventing breast cancer This year, Mendez will be working on a 10 ft.-by-15 ft. portrait of civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, artist Friday Kahlo, women and girls' education advocate Malala Yousafzai and transgender activist Benny Johnson. The free festival will be taking over The Marketplace on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Never miss a story: Make KGET.com your homepage You can also celebrate the Bakersfield Museum of Art's 26th anniversary of Via Arté at Bella Fiesta at Mama Tosca's Ristorante Italiano on Oct. 21. at 5:30 p.m. $75 will get you wine, Italian appetizers al fresco, and a private tour of the completed Via Arté artwork with curatorial staff. Watch the full interview with BMoA's Lauren Marty in the video player above.