by guest blogger Connie Mettler
Art Fair Calendar has announced the results of its 7th annual “America’s Best Art Fairs” survey. This is the only national online look at the country’s juried art fairs and craft shows, designed to increase art fair tourism by sharing the top shows in the country with art fair patrons.
La Quinta Art Fair
We asked our mailing list of over 57,000 art fair patrons what they felt was the best art fair in the country, and we had an amazing nationwide response. More than 230 events were nominated in 42 states and over 1,000 unique responses were tabulated to calculate the winners. The Old Town Art Fair in Chicago scored in as #1 for the fourth year in a row!
The Sunriver Art Fair, #3 of the top events, wasn’t even on the survey list. They organized their community to “write in” on the ballot.
Here are the winners:
Top 15 Art Fairs
Old Town Art Fair, Chicago, IL – June 8 & 9, 2019, “Located in the midst of a beautiful (old architecture) city neighborhood, good food, good music and lots to see beyond the art, enjoy the energy of a major city and the art at the same time.”
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Winter Park, FL – March 15-17, 2019, “Over 225 of the top artists in the country are selected, the setting for the art festival is amazing, including the best restaurants and the best musical entertainment anywhere.”
Sunriver Art Fair, Sunriver, OR – August 9-11, 2019 – “Located in a high desert resort with beautiful views and wonderful family activities. Level of artist talent is high. High caliber event, something for everyone!”
The Ann Arbor Art Fairs, (all 4), Ann Arbor, MI – July 18-21, 2019, “Huge citywide art fair, wonderful artists.”
Lakeshore Art Festival, Muskegon, MI – July 5 & 6, 2019, “Cool art, yummy treats, fun downtown atmosphere.”
Geneva Art Fair, Geneva, IL – July 27-28, 2019, “Unique Artists and great small town fun.”
Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, Cedar Key, FL – March 30-31, 2019, “Diverse art categories and excellent artists on a charmingly historic small island.”
Gold Coast Art Fair, Chicago
Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Coconut Grove, FL – February 16-18, 2019, “350+ juried artists and excellent atmosphere.”
Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, Ann Arbor, MI – July 18-21, 2019, “A wonderful fair to find great art — unique pieces to treasure. The Gold standard of quality art.”
La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA – March 7-10, 2019, “Quality & talent you would be hard pressed to find even in galleries. Spectacular show setting and resort style area with upscale shops, restaurants and Sunshine!”
One of a Kind Show and Sale, Chicago, IL – Dec. 6-9, 2019, “600+ fabulous artists displaying original work. Need I say more?”
Beaux Arts Festival of Art, Coral Gables, FL – Jan. 12-13, 2019
Kimball Arts Festival, Park City, UT – August 2-4, 2019
Peoria Art Guild Fine Art Fair, Peoria, IL – Sept. 27-29, 2019
ArtPrize, Grand Rapids, MI – Sept. 18-Oct. 6, 2019
Don’t miss the Top 5 Best East Coast, Midwest, Southern and Western art fairs lists, plus the Best Urban festivals and the Best Small town events. See the entire list of the top 50 art fairs at ArtFairCalendar, with contact information for each event!
How about a list of best INDOOR Art Fairs? I don’t do outdoor shows anymore, too risky.
Good question, Denice. I haven’t heard of such a list, but will pass this on to Connie Mettler at Art Fair Calendar for her comments.
Hi Denice, thanks for asking.
There are many, many more outdoor festivals than indoor ones, which is why these particular events rose to the top in the survey. In addition, way more people attend the outdoor ones than indoor events. So, the list is shorter.
A fair number of the best ones are on the East Coast. Think CraftBoston, Smithsonian, ACC, Paradise City. Some events are held in large tents erected especially for that purpose. A good example of a fine one that does that is the Milwaukee Lakefront Festival held at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Near the holidays you’ll find convention centers and fairgrounds expo centers hosting indoor events.
Outdoor shows are more risky, but because the overhead is lower (to take over a street or a park or a fairgrounds) their fees are lower. Like everything in life, it is a balance.
Please visit our website, ArtFairCalendar.com. It lists all kinds of events, all over the country.