I always loved doing one day art fairs - you get there, you set up, the people come, they buy and then you are on the way home! No dithering or waiting for people to make decisions. They know you won't be there long. The art fair is their destination for the day and they have made plans to buy. What's not to like? Here are my two favorites:
1. 'Round the Fountain Art Fair, Lafayette, IN-- always held on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. This is undoubtedly the best quality art fair in Indiana. Lafayette is a university town, home of Purdue University. The event is held around its beautifully restored courthouse. In fact it was started to raise funds for the restoration of the courthouse some time ago! Small, 80 artists, with an audience who is loyal and who buy every year. It has the advantage of a well-loved tradition in a more or less rural area that is full of people who love it. Here is a good story, including video, from the local television station:
Sunny skies make a perfect day. Here is another story from the Lafayette paper:
Art patrons score at fountain art fair. Wood artist LeRoy Bayerl of Marshfield, Wis., won best of show. My old friend jeweler Jack Forney earned second place honors and Randall Harden of Noblesville came in third.
2.
Charlevoix Waterfront Art Fair, Charlevoix, MI -- always on the second Saturday of August I loved this one because it was a chance to get "up north" on a beautiful summer day, eat fresh whitefish, see the playground of the well-to-do, hang out a little on Lake Michigan, and do some very decent sales. In fact, we had our best one day sales ever at this event. The fair is set up on the waterfront of a beautiful harbor. There are some fabulous boats docked there. The owners would host parties on their boats and then come into the park to shop and take their goods back to the boat. The art fair weekend is the biggest one all summer in Charlevoix. The committee is all volunteer and terrific. In the morning expect homemade muffins, coffee and http://www.charlevoixwaterfrontartfair.org/seeing your friends, gathered here for the festivities. Plus, if the committee likes your work there is a good chance you will be reinvited for years to come. The weather is invariably fabulous and was a reminder of why we live in Michigan. Do you have any favorite one day art fairs? Tell us about them.
My favorite one day art event/fair would be Darlington Apple Festival in Darlington, MD. What I like most about it is the fact that it always draws a HUGE crowd every year. About 200+ exhibitors are there and it isn't all art, but some "lower end" crafts and non-profits too. Basically the town shuts down and it is wall to wall canopies up and down the Main St. (and this is a super small town) in the boonies. But is a TOWN fundraiser - the churches come out, the Lions Club, and other associations all work together to make it happen. That kind of unity is very rare. In this case it really shows and hope it stays around for years to come. And not to mention the food is really good - everyone is friendly, and sales are pretty constant no matter what you sell. I think this would be one of my top One Day events. - Michelle
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