Art Towns California: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging & Dining, by author John Villani features an entire chapter on Chico.

"This progressive college town bordering the Sierra Nevada foothills has defined itself as an arts-supportive environment celebrating all facets of creativity. In Chico, the combined impacts of innovative arts events, inspired art exhibitions, affordable performances, and open-minded networks of creative field professionals have enhanced the quality of life for all of its 80,000 residents.

It was the Chico Palio, a signature kickoff event Saturday for Artoberfest modeled after the famed Siena Palio horse race in Italy, substituting people for horses.

The racers, stretching the width of Main Street, lurched forward in a mad dash to complete the one-lap footrace. Each pair of racers represented a Chico organization or neighborhood.

"The tour started out modestly with about a dozen artists. This year we have over 100 artists participating," said Jana Lawton, an artist and board member of Chico Art Center who, along with her husband, Dave Lawton, has coordinated the tour for the past eight years. "We have 23 new artists, many of them from Oroville, participating in the tour so it's very exciting."