Thousands of people filled the streets to admire a variety of art vendors from around the country — around 200 vendors, to be exact.
“Art is definitely in the eye of the beholder,” said one artist. Her specialty is glass-blowing, “I just get inspired when I see paintings, jewelry and color combinations.”“We average about 300,000 people into the City of Fairhope over the 3-day weekend,” said Marissa Thetford, Chairperson of the festival. “It’s amazing- it’s a huge economic impact for us- not just for our artists but for our local businesses, bars, restaurants, hotels.
“I love the art- the talent these people have for crafts and photo- very unique, very impressed,” said Ranell and Stephen Straka.“Coming from the big city, it’s go, go, go, go, you know? It’s just more laid back. Everybody we’ve spoken to has just been fabulous,” they said.“I’ve been coming to the festival since I was seven years old and I have absolutely loved living in Fairhope. I go to the University of Arkansas- but I come back every year,” said Whitney Williams.
This year, 30 states are represented in the festival including Canada. The event features high-caliber artwork ranging from ceramics to wood sculptures, clothing and even hand-made brooms. The festival runs from Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the shuttle service running from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The organizers tell us they plan to evaluate weather conditions on a day-to-day basis. In the event they are forced to cancel, they will inform us as well as post it to their Facebook page.Teen arrested in connection with shooting near University Boulevard in Mobile