By LEIGH FLYNN DOTY

While many of the classrooms at Bolton High School may still feature the original chalkboards, it was the chalk dust outside on Thursday that demonstrated a lesson.

A tradition since 2005, Chalkfest has allowed hundreds of students to transform the drab, gray concrete walkway leading to the school’s main entrance into a beautiful mosaic of art.

Students chose different artwork to sketch out and draw on the walkways, with the intricate patterns carefully drawn to scale. The day-long event, which is typically held the day before Spring Break, allows artistically talented students to showcase their skills in a fun, public way…

Bolton’s Tracie Campbell has organized the effort since its inception. Art alumni, including some of her “OG” participants, joined in the fun this year to commemorate the final Bolton High School Chalkfest. One even flew in from Oklahoma just to participate in the event.

Talking with some of the former and current students, the reasons for their participation in today’s event were similar. “Back then, we wanted to get out of class all day and do something fun!” said one of the original participants. Today’s students would agree.

But it is more than fun. It is a tradition that these students, both past and present, can say they were a part of during their time at Bolton High School. While their drawings will be on display on the front walkway until Mother Nature decides to erase them, the memories of days such as this one will forever be etched into these students’ memories.