Top Ten Art Festivals in the US

For the traveler looking to some of the best art the country has to offer, this list highlights the top ten art festivals in the United States.

#10 Cherry Creek Arts Festival began in 1991 and is held every July in Denver, Colorado. A non-profit three-day event, the festival features over 230 of the nation’s finest visual artists and seven performance stages, including culinary demonstrations and interactive family activities.

#9 The Festival of Murals is a summer-long event that takes place in Wayne County, Indiana beginning in June. Selected artists unveil their designs in the county seat of Richmond, Indiana, and then spend June and July painting the murals within Wayne County. The public then votes in August to decide the winner and the competition ends with a music festival in September.

#8 Dogwood Arts Festival started in 1947 and celebrates the blooming of the dogwood trees. Held in Knoxville, Tennessee throughout the spring. The festival features all kinds of arts and crafts, including performance arts, and also offers festival goers the opportunity to take bus tours through the dogwood trails, enjoy the Dogwood Parade, and participate in bike rides and runs to support this non-profit event.

#7 Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival is held in Half Moon Bay, California in October during the pumpkin harvest season. The art and crafts are all harvest-inspired and range from glass and ceramics to metals and wood, as well as fine art. The festival includes the Great Pumpkin Parade, pumpkin pie eating contest, pumpkin carving contests, and a pumpkin weight-off. Food plays a big part in this festival and includes all things pumpkin: pie, bread, cheesecake, pancakes, sausages, and ice cream.

#6 The St. James Court Art Show is a free public outdoor event held in Louisville, Kentucky the first weekend in October since 1957. The festival features arts and crafts by more than 700 artists from various places around the country and includes crafts from jewelry and glasswork to furniture and pottery, as well as photography and paintings.

#5 The Festival of the Arts is a three-day festival held in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the first weekend in June.  Now in it’s 43rd year, the festival is a community celebration featuring arts, food, and entertainment (such as dance, theatre, poetry, film, and story telling). All festival performances, exhibits, and activities are free, thanks to donations from local businesses and volunteers.

#4 The Allentown Art Festival takes place in Buffalo, New York in June. Now in its 55th year, art patrons visit the festival for the charm of Allentown and for the art and crafts presented by over 400 exhibitors. Cash prizes are awarded for the best of show, purchase awards, and poster winners, as well as for art scholarships. Ten percent of the festival’s gross profit goes to the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to be used for future art scholarships.

#3 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts got its start in July of 1967. Still held every July in State College, Pennsylvania, the festival includes a children and youth day with a sidewalk sale of children’s art as well as workshops and performances by and for the youth. The Sidewalk Sale and Exhibition is ranked as one of the top outdoor fine art and fine craft shows in the nation, and bring artists and craftspeople from all over the country. The festival also present performers on seven outdoor and indoor stages.

#2 The Amish Acres Arts and Crafts Festival is a four-day event held the first weekend in August in Nappanee, Indiana. The festival features 350 artists and craftsmen in a marketplace surrounding the farm’s pond. Over $10,000 in cash prizes are awarded to winners in twelve different categories. Since it’s start in 1962, the event has grown to include Amish related products for sale, including baked goods, jams, and smoked hams. Entertainment includes music, guided tours, and wagon rides.

#1 The Lake Eden Arts Festival is held twice a year (October and May) in Black Mountain, North Carolina since 1995. The festival is a non-profit that provides outreach to bring performing artists into schools and community centers for hands-on workshops, residencies, and interactive programs. Including international and local music, handcrafts, dancing, culinary arts, healing arts, poetry, children’s activities, outdoor adventures, drum circles, and more, this festival has something for everyone.

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