At this time of the year I know you are deep into the planning for your 2011 art fairs. In that vein I am pleased to bring you a very cool list of events held in some of the nation's most prestigious neighborhoods in the East, from Cape Cod to Charlotte.
Paragon Fine Art Festivals is entering its third year producing art festivals under the direction of Bill Kinney. It is exciting for artists when a new promoter comes along, especially in the Northeast where there have been few events that showcase the fine arts. It is even more pleasing to view their objectives:
1. Attract the best fine art and fine craft artisans from the United States and abroad.
2. Treat artists with respect and appreciation.
3. Provide a fair and equitable jury system to select artists for the events
4. Ensure that all artwork is hand made by the artisans and that artisans are present at the
shows
5. Create strong corporate and media partnerships to advertise and promote these events
Read on. I'll bet you can find room in your art fair schedule to choose at least one of these!
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FAIRFAX FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
April 30 - May 1
Fairfax, Virginia
Number of booths: 75
Deadline: February 25
Booth Space Cost: $395.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/fairfax
The Fairfax Fine Arts Festival will be held in Fairfax Corner in Northern Virginia, part of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. A beautiful mixed-use development offering main street style shopping at both national chain stores and local boutiques, Fairfax Corner features a state-of-the-art movie theater and the best mix of restaurants in the area. Combining retail space, office space and residential living make it the ideal location for a fine arts festival.
Fairfax County is the most populated community in the Washington Metropolitan Area and first in the U.S. to reach a six-figure median household income, lauding the second-highest median household income of any county with a population of at least 250,000. The average income within a 10-mile radius of the Festival is over a $125,000 and over 30% of the population has graduate degrees. In 2009, Forbes Magazine rated the City of Fairfax as #3 in the "Top 25 Places to Live Well." Fairfax Corner is a premiere location for a fine arts festival.
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DOWNTOWN SILVER SPRING FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
May 7 - 8
Silver Spring, Maryland
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: March 3
Booth Space Cost: $375.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/maryland
The Downtown Silver Spring Fine Arts Festival will take place on Ellsworth Street in the heart of downtown Silver Spring, MD. Silver Spring is a major business hub situated at the north apex of Washington, D.C. and has recently undergone a spectacular renaissance adding major retail, residential, and office developments.
Ellsworth Street typically draws 20,000 visitors on a non-event weekend in May. The downtown combines a vibrant, laid-back atmosphere with fabulous dining and shopping, hosting outdoor concerts and patio dining. The Downtown Silver Spring shopping district features an eclectic mix of entertainment, restaurants, retail and offices offering a diversity of eateries and retail. The show's proximity to the Washington D.C. markets and built-in local audience make this an ideal location for a festival.
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SCARSDALE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
May 14 - 15
Scarsdale, New York
Number of booths: 110
Deadline: March 11
Booth Space Cost: $395.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/scarsdale
The Scarsdale Fine Arts Festival returns for its second year to central Westchester County again hosted by the Scardsdale Chamber of Commerce. The show takes place on the downtown Village Streets amidst elegant Tudor architecture, surrounded by numerous parks and extensive green spaces. The median income for a family is over $200,000. We expect this festival to be the crown jewel in Paragon's lineup. Within a 25-mile radius are Manhattan, Armonk and Greenwich, CT. Valet parking is being added in 2011 to accommodate our high end buyers.
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LONG ISLAND FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
May 21 & 22
Nassau County, New York
Eisenhower Park
Number of booths: 125
Deadline: March 17
Booth Space Cost: $325.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/long-island
We are honored to be hosting the second fine art event ever held in Eisenhower Park. In discussing our inaugural event in their August 2010 edition, Sunshine Artist reported that: "Given that Nassau County is a generally wealthy area, artist could expect to do well at this show. And they certainly did."
Eisenhower Park is a stunningly beautiful 930-acre park located in the heart of Nassau County only 20 miles from Manhattan. Not only does Eisenhower Park have easy access from every major highway that surrounds the park but easy accessibility to all portions of Long Island.
As of 2008, Forbes reported Nassau County to be the second richest per capita in the State of New York and 10th wealthiest county per capita in the nation. Combined with the proximity to New York City where we will be doing extensive advertising for the event, we expect the event to draw the higher end art patrons and business clientele artists seek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~JERSEY SHORE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
June 11 & 12
Ship Bottom, New Jersey
Number of booths: 110
Deadline: April 8
Booth Space Cost: $325.00
Website: www.jerseyshoreartfest.com
The Jersey Shore Fine Arts Festival returns for its third year to Long Beach Island, more familiarly known as LBI. Located just a few miles north of Atlantic City off the Garden State Parkway, the show is a short drive from Philadelphia and New York City. June brings summer crowds seeking pristine beaches, soothing environs and quality shops, services and dining. Thousands of corporate leaders and celebrities from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania bring their families to LBI to savor the beauty that this barrier island provides.
In its first year the Jersey Shore Fine Arts Festival ranked in the top 100 fine arts festivals with both the Art Fair Sourcebook and Sunshine Artist. In 2010, severe thunderstorms threatened the show and our attendance on Sunday resulting in the show being closed early. We believe 2011 will see the festival restored to it's top 100 ranking!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NORTH SHORE FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
June 18 & 19
Roslyn, New York
Christopher Morley County Park
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: April 14
Booth Space Cost: $375.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/roslyn
The North Shore Fine Arts Festival will be held in Christopher Morley County Park in Roslyn, New York. Located on the North Shore of Long Island, the site is readily accessible to all portions of Long Island, located less than 0.25 mi from the Long Island Expressway (I-495) and about a mile south of the "Miracle Mile" on Northern Boulevard, well-known for its high-end shopping center called the Americana Manhasset. The show site is on the very visible and heavily-traveled Searingtown Road.
Counties along the North Shore bordering Long Island Sound are referred to as the "Gold Coast". Historically, the Gold Coast is one of the most affluent areas in the country. Neighborhoods including Manhasset, Roslyn, Great Neck, Sands Point, and Kings Point contain substantial wealth dating back to the late 19th century. Christopher Morley County Park is a spectacular setting for a fine arts festival offering unprecedented demographics.
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GAITHERSBURG FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
June 25 & 26
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Washingtonian Center
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: April 14
Booth Space Cost: $375.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/gaithersburg
The Gaithersburg Fine Arts Festival will be held in the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Located adjacent to the District of Columbia, Montgomery County is the most populated and affluent in Maryland with a median household income of $106,000. The Washingtonian Center, opened in 1998, combines with the Waterfront and Rio Entertainment Center to create a 530,000 sq ft environment of retail stores and restaurants and over 200,000 sq ft of entertainment uses. Residential communities such as The Crossing developed nearby attract high-end homeowners. During summer, free concerts are held at the Waterfront of the Washingtonian Center. Great demographics and a spectacular venue create the foundation for a great art festival.
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CAPE COD FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
July 16 & 17
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Village Green on Main Street
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: May 12
Booth Space Cost: $325.00
Website: www.capecodartfest.com
The Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District is sponsoring their third Cape Cod Fine Arts Festival on the Village Green on Main Street in downtown Hyannis, the commercial "Capital of the Cape". For those that have attended this event previously, the Village Green is a delightful location: close, intimate, and easily accessible to the patrons. For 2011 the event will be moved from its August date to the middle of July. This will offer heavier tourist traffic, being more mid-season.
Hyannis is an important tourist and resort destination for the Northeast attracting wealthy families, celebrities, and prosperous tourists. It's the primary ferryboat and general aviation link for passengers to Nantucket Island. The area offers historic homes, beautiful beaches, fabulous golf courses, exquisite dining and numerous attractions including the JFK Presidential Library located adjacent to the festival. These are the demographics most sought by artists.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~COOPER RIVER FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
July 30 & 31
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: May 27
Booth Space Cost: $325.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/cherryhill
The second Cooper River Fine Arts Festival is sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer and will take place along the scenic Cooper River. Cooper River Park (347 acres) runs through Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Haddon Township, among the country's most affluent suburbs. Being a "bedroom community" within one hour's commute to Philadelphia, Camden, Trenton, and Princeton, the show draws heavily from all these communities. Camden County has a large college-educated population of doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, nurses, pharmacists, and scientists. In 2006,
Cherry Hill was named among the 'Best Places to Live' in the United States by Money Magazine and ranked eighth safest place to live in the same survey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WESTHAMPTON BEACH FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
September 3 & 4
Westhampton Beach, New York
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: July 1
Booth Space Cost: $325.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/westhampton
The Westhampton Beach Festival of the Arts enters its third year, returning to the Great Lawn of St. Mark's Church on Main Street in Westhampton Beach. 2010 was a stellar year for the festival, experiencing steady crowds and buying energy past the close of the show. Sales recorded by artists in 2011 confirm that the Westhampton Beach Festival of the Arts will be among the top fine art venues in the nation.
The Village of Westhampton Beach is located on the scenic south shore of Long Island in eastern Suffolk County. Only 78 miles from midtown Manhattan, the show is readily accessible to New Yorkers with many of the patrons maintaining residences in Manhattan. Westhampton Beach is considered by many to be the "First Hampton". Since its origins, Westhampton Beach has been one of the fastest growing communities on eastern Long Island while maintaining its laid-back reputation. Trendy shops abound on Main Street and celebrities routinely observed on the streets and in restaurants. These are the demographics most sought after by artists.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MARYLAND FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
September 17 & 18
Silver Spring, Maryland
Number of booths: 100
Deadline: July 13
Booth Space Cost: $375.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/maryland
Once again we return to the same location as the Downtown Silver Spring Fine Arts Festival held in May. Silver Spring is a major business hub situated at the north apex of Washington, D.C. and has recently undergone a spectacular renaissance adding major retail, residential, and office developments.
Ellsworth Street typically draws 20,000 visitors on a non-event weekend in May. The downtown combines a vibrant, laid-back atmosphere with fabulous dining and shopping, hosting outdoor concerts and patio dining. The Downtown Silver Spring shopping district features an eclectic mix of entertainment, restaurants, retail and offices offering a diversity of eateries and retail. The show's proximity to the Washington D.C. markets and built-in local audience make this an ideal location for a festival.
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LONG ISLAND ART & WINE FESTIVAL
September 24 & 25
Nassau County, NY
Eisenhower Park
Number of booths: 125
Deadline: July 21
Booth Space Cost: $325.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/liwine
We are honored to be hosting the third art festival ever held in Eisenhower Park. Located on The Kite Field where the spring Long Island Fine Art Festival is held in May, the event will create a venue of high-end fine art and craft complemented by wine tasting from local, national, and international wineries along with selected gourmet foods set up under a separate tent. As artists have long since learned, connoisseurs of art and connoisseurs of wine are typically one and the same. In discussing our May event in their August 2010 edition, Sunshine Artist reported that: "Given that Nassau County is a generally wealthy area, artist could expect to do well at this show. And they certainly did."
Eisenhower Park is a stunningly beautiful 930-acre park located in the heart of Nassau County. Only 20 miles from Manhattan, the park has easy access from every major highway surrounding the park and easy accessibility to all portions of Long Island via major interstates and parkways.
Forbes reported Nassau County to be the second richest per capita in New York and 10th wealthiest per capita in the nation with a median household income of $86,000. In 2005 it was reported to be the "safest place in the nation" in the Forbes listing of "Best Places for Business and Careers." Combined with the proximity to New York City where we will be doing extensive advertising for the event, we expect the event to draw the higher end art patrons and business clientele artists seek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GREATER CHARLESTON FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
October 29 & 30
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Number of booths: 125
Deadline: August 25
Booth Space Cost: $375.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/charleston
The Greater Charleston Fine Arts Festival will be held at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. A short 10-minute commute from downtown Charleston, Patriots Point is on the east side of the Ravenel Bridge that spans the Cooper River linking downtown Charleston with Mount Pleasant. Patriots Point commands breathtaking views of downtown Charleston and Charleston Harbor and is currently home to World War II aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, an extremely popular tourist destination.
The Charleston community has long been known for its support of the arts, home to over 40 art galleries and recently named a Top 25 art destination by AmericanStyle magazine. Charleston is also a major tourist destination with numerous luxury hotels, bed & breakfasts, and award-winning restaurants. Mount Pleasant is centered in an expanding arts community and boasts the largest urban redevelopment project ever undertaken in the United States. Mount Pleasant is ideal location for a fine arts festival offering unprecedented demographics and a superb, visible location.
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CHARLOTTE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
November 5 & 6
Charlotte, North Carolina
Symphony Park at South Park Mall
Number of booths: 125
Deadline: August 25
Booth Space Cost: $350.00
Website: www.paragonartevents.com/charlotte
The Charlotte Fine Arts Festival will be located in Symphony Park adjacent to the upscale SouthPark Mall, a Charlotte landmark and premier destination. SouthPark Mall, opened in 1970, is the largest shopping mall in North Carolina and first combining retail, dining, and residential living, creating a unique lifestyle for the residents. The SouthPark mall is anchored by Nordstrom, Belk, Dillard's, Macy's and Neiman-Marcus and luxury stores offer fashions such as Burberry and Louis Vuitton to casual staples such as J. Crew and Tommy Bahama. The newest addition to SouthPark, referred to as "The Village" is a 48,000 sq ft specialty store complex. During October and November SouthPark Mall traditionally attracts over two million visitors. Symphony Park, currently home to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's Summer Pops series, also hosts several other outdoor festivals and concert events. Symphony Park offers a perfect location for a fine arts festival.
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Wow! Isn't that a great group of art fairs? in great locations?
Don't miss your opportunity to be in the right place at the right time!
Apply today: www.Zapplication.org
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Looking for even more events for 2011? Visit www.CallsforArtists.com
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