Beautify your July with a trip to the Loring Park Art Festival

Mark your calendars for the weekend of July 30th-31st to savor the arts and our beloved Minneapolis parks at the Loring Park Art Festival. The festival has been a family-friendly and accessible Minneapolis tradition for over twenty years. With children’s activities, diverse food options, scheduled stage performances, and wandering musicians, there truly will be something for everyone. The location is perfect for inclusion of all friends and family as there are several wheelchair-accessible transportation options, dogs are allowed on leashes, and there are quieter green spaces close by for anyone who might need to take a break from festivities. Art will be available at a wide range of prices to enable all art-lovers to find their own unique treasure. Quite impressive that a festival named by Sunshine Artists Magazine as one of the top 100 fine art festivals in the nation for the past 18 years can be found in our own backyard.

A variety of art forms will be presented by 140 different juried artists, more than 45 of which are new to the festival this year. You will find masterful examples of ceramics, drawings, paintings, textiles, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, sculpture, woodworking, photography, paper arts, scratchboard, and henna. The henna artisan, Reena Maheshwari, is of a mother-daughter duo who have been doing henna in the Twin Cities for over twenty years. “Last year’s festival saw record numbers in both attendance and sales,” said Pat Parnow, festival founder. “This year proves to build on that success. Artist applications for our 140 spaces totalled 370 and were especially compelling this year. Festival attendees will be able to explore the talents of newcomers and beloved favorites who have been with us for years.” The festival has chosen some of these talented individuals to be featured artists on the event website, where one can also find a full list of artists, vendors, and activities.

Loring Park Art Festival began in 1999 when three artists devised a plan to combine their years of experience participating in other art events to create a festival designed for artists, by artists. Together, founders Pat Parnow, Carol Rahr Haubner, and Mary Ann Snedic Wunderlin have over 100 years of experience in exhibiting, consulting, and jurying numerous art festivals. They viewed Loring Park with its gorgeous ponds and dignified gardens as their “new canvas” for cultivating a community gathering to celebrate creative expression. The festival is currently produced by Artists for Artists LLP and managed by Pat Parnow and Cindy Jacobson.

On both days, the Aspiring Artists Micro Music Festival will be held on the North Stage, which is the porch of a Victorian-era building! On both days, you’ll find a group from the Westminster Presbyterian Church entertaining on the Main Park Building Stage. On Sunday the 31st, Urban Sketchers Twin Cities, a group who goes to various locations to draw their surroundings, will have a sketch-out. After the Micro Music

Festival ends on Sunday, the North Stage will host the Diversity Street Dancers at 1pm, followed by the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony at 2pm, and the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra at 3:15pm. A group of art instructors from Wine and Canvas will be present to inspire you to create your own masterpiece. Last but certainly not least, the culinary artisans providing food will include KCM Egg Rolls, Best Way (Greek food), Habanero Tacos, Top Pierogi, Taste the Real Nawlins, Paella Depot, Tibetan Family Momo, and more.

Other upcoming art fairs in the Twin Cities include the Powderhorn Art Fair (August 6th-7th) and the Uptown Art Fair (August 5th-7th). Like many art events, Loring Park Art Festival depends on volunteer support in order to run. Find more information about fun volunteer opportunities on the event website below. Regardless of your role, hope to see you there!

Event detail summary:

Dates: Saturday, July 30th: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sunday, July 31st: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Location: Loring Park at Oak Grove and Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis

Parking and directions: www.loringparkartfestival.com/getting-there

Find more information at www.loringparkartfestival.com