It’s that time of year again, Lakers: ArtPrize has descended on downtown Grand Rapids. This year, there will be an estimated 400,000 visitors to the art competition, and there are more art entries than ever before, totaling at more than 1,500 works of art.

The official launch party of ArtPrize 2014 will take place this Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Rosa Parks Circle.

Festivities will include the Grand Valley State University Laker marching band, the GVSU dance company and WGVU. The event will be hosted by Christian Gaines, the executive director of ArtPrize and GVSU President Thomas J. Haas will be in attendance.

The GVSU dance company will lead a flash mob, and the evening will include other music.

There will also be a “Nerd Walk,” hosted by WGVU and PBS, going from Rosa Parks Circle along the Blue Pedestrian Bridge, ending at the Eberhard Center on the GVSU Pew Campus.