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  On fall art tours, treasure hunters find vivid colors everywhere they look.

Art al fresco

When warm weather arrives, art fairs start to pop up everywhere.

We all know what summer means — days at the beach, boat rides, marshmallow roasts . . . and shopping.

Not at malls but under the little white tents that pop up wherever there's a festival, on the shores of lakes, in parks and on picturesque town squares.

That's where the region's most accomplished potters, glass makers, jewelers, painters, weavers and photographers bring out their wares and make themselves available to whoever cares to stop — customers, passersby, admirers.

At Duluth's Park Point Art Fair, set up near the end of the sand spit that forms Duluth's harbor, Frank Garcia of Duluth cast himself into the last category. He went from one photographer's booth to another, looking enviously at beautifully composed portraits of wildlife, flora and landscapes.

At each booth, he stopped to chat with the artist.

"Even if I don't buy, I've seen some beautiful things by the end of the day," Garcia said. "They're interesting people who interact with life in a completely different way."

For shoppers, it's a golden opportunity to get to know interesting artists and to see new works by artists they already know.

At Park Point, I was glad to see photographer Jim Gindorff of St. Paul, because I'd wanted a framed print of his striking "Oak Leaves"' ever since I'd bought the image on a $4 greeting card at the Northfield fair two years earlier.

Luckily for Gindorff, most people don't spend that long deliberating about spending $120.

"I've had people coming through on their way to their cabin in Grand Marais, and they'll say, 'I'll take this one and this one and that one,' and I'll think, where do they get their money?" he said. "I don't try to talk them out of it, though."

Call of the loon

Strolling along between rows of booths, I was drawn by the call of a loon. It turned out to be coming from Carlton potters Jim and Mary Lee Henriques, who made a loon whistle one day as a lark and now are known as "the loon potters."

The exquisite dinner plates, vases and pots they primarily make sell well, but the $10 whistles fly out by the dozens.

"Now, if we don't bring them, people say, 'Where are the loons?'" Mary Lee Henriques says.

As I walked along, chatting with the artists and collecting postcards of art I might want to buy someday, a harpist played. Children played on a giant wood ore boat, and vendors sold gyros and kettle corn.

Nearly every art fair offers food and entertainment, especially those that are part of a community festival. But each has a different character.

Many of the fairs are very popular, and people who plan to build a summer weekend around one should reserve lodgings ahead of time.

Trip tips: Outdoors art fairs

Below is a guide to some of the best outdoors art fairs in the region. All are in attractive settings and in towns that have many attractions for tourists. All are juried.

People who want to visit art fairs in popular weekend destinations — Duluth, Grand Marais, Bayfield, Ely, Red Wing, Madison — should reserve lodgings in the spring.

Here are dates for some of the best fairs in 2012.

For a list of fall studio tours, see Autumn in the studios.

MAY

May 12, Fair on the Square in Baraboo, Wis., near Wisconsin Dells. While you're there, visit Circus World Museum, the International Crane Foundation and Devil's Lake State Park.

For more, see Baraboo's gilt complex.

May, Rivertown Art Festival in Stillwater, Minn. This town on the St. Croix River, half an hour east of the Twin Cities, is a popular weekend destination.

For more, see Summer in Stillwater.

May 18-20, DubuqueFest in Dubuque, Iowa. In addition to a juried art fair in Washington Park, there's dance, music on two stages, storytelling, food, children's activities and an Old House Enthusiast's Old Home Tour.

For more, see Destination Dubuque.

May 19-20, Art in the Park in Oak Park, Ill. The Western Suburban Artists Guild hosts this fair in Mills Park, in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright area of town.

May 26-27, Prairie Arts Festival in Schaumburg, Ill. This fair on the grounds of the Prairie Center for the Arts features 155 artists.

JUNE

June 1-2, Street Faire at the Lakes in Detroit Lakes, Minn. A visit to this western Minnesota resort town would be a good way to kick off summer.

June 1-3, Edina Art Fair in Edina, Minn. The annual show at 50th and France in this southern Minneapolis suburb draws 375 exhibitors and 60,000 people.

June, Iowa Arts Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. More than 130 regional artists sell at this downtown festival, which includes, music, dance, children's activities, a Global Village and a Culinary Row.

June 10, Grant Wood Art Festival in Anamosa, Iowa. The artist founded an art colony near this town. The festival includes music, children's activities and the chance to see Grant Wood originals.

June, Art on the Lake in Excelsior, Minn. The show in this western Minneapolis suburb has a lovely setting in a park on Lake Minnetonka, near a sand beach, a playground and tennis courts.

For more, see Cruising around Excelsior.

June 9-10, Wells Street Art Festival in Chicago. The Old Town Art Fair is nearby; together, the two fairs are expected to have 510 exhibitors and draw 110,000 visitors.

June, Stone Arch Festival of the Arts in Minneapolis. This festival on the Mississippi riverfront near downtown also features music and other festivities.

For more, see On the river in Minneapolis.

June 16-17, Land of the Loon Ethnic Arts & Crafts Festival in Virginia, Minn. This Iron Range town festival features a parade and is held near Silver Lake, home of a 20-foot fiberglass loon. 

For more, see On the Iron Trail.

June 17, Art in the Park in Lanesboro, Minn. Many fine artists live in and around this Minnesota bluff-country burg, a favorite of bicyclists. 

For more, see The belle of bluff country.

June 17, Snake Alley Art Fair in Burlington, Iowa. The fair along the famously crooked street in this Mississippi River town coincides with the Steamboat Days festival.

June 22-24, Des Moines Arts Festival in Des Moines, Iowa. This big, juried arts fair at Western Gateway Park includes a jazz and wine pavilion, film festival and interactive arts projects.

A free shuttle takes visitors to the indoor ArtFest Midwest at the Iowa State Fairgrounds June 23-24.

June 23-24, Art Experience in Wayzata, Minn. More than 100 juried artists show their work in the pretty downtown of this Minneapolis suburb on the shores of Lake Minnetonka.

June 23-24, Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair in Spring Green, Wis. This arts community along the Wisconsin River also is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, House on the Rock and the American Players Theatre. 

For more, see Drawn to Spring Green.

June 23-24, Park Point Art Fair in Duluth. It's held across the Aerial Lift Bridge, on the sand spit that creates the harbor.

For more, see Duluth stories.

JULY

July 7-8, Hopkins Arts Festival in Hopkins, Minn. The downtown art fair in this western Minneapolis suburb, a bicycling hub, is part of Raspberry Festival.

July 14-15, Art on the Square in Madison. This is a huge event, with nearly 500 exhibitors, but a universal favorite. Art Off the Square, along Lake Monona, adds 140 exhibitors, all from Wisconsin. 

For more, see Shopping in Madison.

July 14-15, Gold Coast Art Fairin Chicago. This fair, which attracts more than 450 juried artists and 350,000 visitors, returns to Grant Park.

For more, see Chicago stories.

July 14-15, Arts Festival in Grand Marais, Minn. This small festival is very popular for its beautiful setting on a Lake Superior harbor.

For more, see Artistic Grand Marais.

July 14-15, Phelps Mill Festival east of Fergus Falls, Minn. This is one of western Minnesota's most popular festivals, held in a bucolic county park along the Otter Tail River, next to a restored 1889 flour mill and general store. 

For more, see Otter trail country.

July, Highland Fest in St. Paul. On Ford Parkway, fairgoers stroll between artists, musicians and food vendors.

July 15-16, Majestic Pines Art Festival in Nisswa, Minn. The festival of this Brainerd Lakes-area village is held around the Paul Bunyan State Trail.

For more, see Fast times in Nisswa.

July 20-21, College Hill Arts Festival in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Seventy-five artists are chosen to show at this fest on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, which includes music and children's activities.

July, Stockholm Art Fair in Stockholm, Wis. This tiny village on Lake Pepin hosts a small but beloved festival.

For more, see Destination: Stockholm

July 21, Lake Mills Arts Festival in Lake Mills, Wis. The show in this town, half an hour east of Madison near the Glacial Drumlin State Trail, is held in pretty Commons Park and features Wisconsin-based artists.

For more, see Riding the Glacial Drumlin.

July, Art in the Park in Bemidji, Minn. In summer, few places are more refreshing than the shores of Lake Bemidji in northern Minnesota. 

For more, see Bemidji's behemoths.

July, Midsummer Festival of the Arts in Sheboygan, Wis. This festival is on the grounds of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a few blocks from Lake Michigan and renowned for outsider and folk art.

For more, see Sights of Sheboygan.

July, Art Sail in Clear Lake, Iowa. This pleasant lakeside town, two hours south of the Twin Cities, hosts the Iowa Storytelling Festival and Lakeside DixieFest on the same weekend.

For more, see Clear Lake tranquility.

July, Geneva Arts Fair in Geneva, Ill. The downtown historic district showcases the fair in this western Chicago suburb.

July 27-29, Blueberry Arts Festival in Ely, Minn. This show is another good excuse to visit this north-woods canoe town.

For more, see Dreaming of Ely.

July 28-29, Art in the Park in Alexandria, Minn. The lakes are the traditional draw in this resorts town.

For more, see Alexandria's enigma.

July 28-29, Art on the Rocks in Marquette, Mich. This show is in scenic Presque Isle Park, a peninsula in Lake Superior.

For more, see The beauty of Yooper land.

July 28-29, Festival of Arts in Bayfield, Wis. Few settings are more picturesque than Bayfield's Memorial Park on Lake Superior. 

For more, see Beloved Bayfield.

AUGUST

Aug. 3-5,  Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis. This festival in this busy neighborhood near Lake Calhoun is big, with 385 exhibitors; ride a bike or take the bus.

Aug. 4-5, Loring Park Art Festival in Minneapolis. This festival is down Hennepin Avenue from the Uptown Art Fair, on the edge of downtown.

Aug. 4-5, Powderhorn Art Fair in Minneapolis. This festival is around a lake in Powderhorn Park, an earthier neighborhood of south Minneapolis.

It's not far from the Midtown Greenway, which connects to the Uptown Art Fair, so it's easy to ride bikes between fairs.

Aug. 11, Amana Festival of the Arts in Middle Amana, Iowa. This festival celebrates the many artisans who live in and around the Amana Colonies.

For more, see Truly Amana.

Aug. 11-12, Art in the Park in Lake Geneva, Wis. More than 80 artists set up in Flat Iron Park on the lakefront.

For more, see Gawking in Lake Geneva.

Aug., Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair in Milwaukee. The 38th annual fair features 140 exhibitors on the grounds of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and Red Arrow Park along the river downtown.

Aug. 11-12, Festival of Fine Art and Craft in Duluth. The historic Congdon estate Glensheen, on Lake Superior, makes a lovely setting for art.

For more, see Duluth's Glensheen.

Aug., Milwaukee Domes Art Festival in Milwaukee. This first annual juried art fair on the grounds of Mitchell Park features live bands and performance artists, a family art tent and an art auction.

Aug. 18-19, Artfest in Huntley, Ill. The art fair in this northwest Chicago-area village includes dance, theater and music.

Aug. 18-19, Art in Bayfront Park Art Fair in Duluth. There's also entertainment and children's activities in this harbor-front showcase for more than 180 artists.

Aug.,  Fine Arts & Wine Festival in Long Grove, Ill. More than 90 juried artists will display in Archer Municipal Lot in the historic village.

Aug. 24-26, Artstreet in Green Bay, Wis. This large event includes four stages and strolling performers. 

For more, see Packer country.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1-2, Third Ward Art Festival in Milwaukee. The new festival in this historic district near downtown features 150 artists.

Sept. 7-9, Harvest Moon Festival in Ely, Minn. The art show in this north-woods town is held in Whiteside Park.

For more, see Dreaming of Ely.

Sept. 8-9, Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair in Little Falls, Minn. This massive fair in central Minnesota includes 850 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors.

Sept. 8-9, Riverfront Fine Arts & Crafts Festival in Northfield, Minn. This fair along the Cannon River an hour south of the Twin Cities coincides with the big Defeat of Jesse James Days. Don't miss the re-enactments.

For more, see Scrappy Northfield.

Sept., Festival of Arts in Wausau, Wis.  While you're in town, visit the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. 

Sept., Arts & Crafts Festival in Hutchinson, Minn. The juried festival in this town west of the Twin Cities attracts more than 150 vendors and 15,000 guests to Library Square Park.

Sept. 15-16, Driftless Art Festival in Soldiers Grove, Wis. It's also apple season in the ridges and valleys of this part of southwest Wisconsin.

Sept., Marine Art Fair in Marine on St. Croix, Minn. This village on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River hosts a fairly large fair, with 175 exhibitors.

Sept., Afton Art in the Park in Afton, Minn. This fair is small, but the St. Croix River village just east of the Twin Cities is a favorite weekend destination.

For more, see A fall sortie on the St. Croix.

OCTOBER

Oct. 6-7, Fall Colors Fine Art & Jazz Festival in Stillwater, Minn. It's held along the St. Croix riverfront in Lowell Park. 

Oct., Galena Country Fair in Galena, Ill. This down-home fair is in Grant Park, along the river; reserve lodgings far in advance. 

For more, see Galena getaway.

Oct. 13, Fair on the Square in Baraboo, Wis. This town is near Devils Lake State Park, a gorgeous fall destination.

For more, see Devil's heaven.

Oct. 13-14, Fall Festival of the Arts in downtown Red Wing, Minn. This Mississippi River town is very popular in fall. 

For more, see Roaming in Red Wing.

Last updated on January 1, 2012