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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.

Minneapolis' Uptown Art Fair in August is known as a high-end affair, with 385 fine artists who attract 400,000 discerning buyers to a small urban area.

Little Falls' Arts & Crafts Fair is spread out, with 850 exhibitors who attract hordes looking for art in a more country-crafts style.

Both shows are juried, which means artists are invited based on their portfolios. But artist selections depend on the tastes of the juries.

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 2010 dates for some of the best fairs.

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

MAY

May 15-16, 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 15, Faire 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.

JUNE

June 4-5, 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 4-6, 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 12-13, 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 12-13, 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 19-20, 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 19-20, Art in East Park, Zumbrota, Minn. An hour south of the Twin Cities, this village hosts its Covered Bridge Music & Arts Festival June 18-20.

June 20, 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 Languid in Lanesboro.

June 19-20, 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 25-27, 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 26-27.

June 26-27, 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 26-27, 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 10-11, 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 10-11, 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 10-11, 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 flourmill and general store. 

For more, see Otter trail country.

July 16-18, Highland Fest in St. Paul. On Ford Parkway, fairgoers stroll between artists, musicians and food vendors.

July 17, Stockholm Art Fair in Stockholm, Wis. This tiny village on Lake Pepin hosts a small but beloved festival.

For more, see Destination: Stockholm

July 17, 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 17-18, 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 16-17, 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 17-18, Midsummer Festival of the Arts in Sheboygan, Wis. This festival is at John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a few blocks from Lake Michigan and renowned for outsider and folk art.

July 23-25, 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 24, 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 24-25, Art in the Park in Alexandria, Minn. The lakes are the traditional draw in this resorts town.

For more, see Alexandria's enigma.

July 30-Aug. 1, Gold Coast-River North Art Fairin Chicago. More than 300 juried artists and 600,000 visitors celebrate art along LaSalle Street, at the intersections of Erie, Huron, and Superior.

For more, see Chicago stories.

July 31-Aug. 1, 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 31-Aug. 1, 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. 6-8,  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. 7-8, Loring Park Art Festival in Minneapolis. This festival is down Hennepin Avenue from the Uptown Art Fair, on the edge of downtown.

Aug. 7-8, 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.

Aug. 14, 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. 14, Summer Art Classic in Baraboo, Wis. The festival in this town near Devils Lake State Park and Wisconsin Dells is set in the pretty town square.

For more, see Baraboo's gilt complex.

Aug. 14-15, Art in the Park in Lake Geneva, Wis. More than 90 artists set up in Library Park on the lakefront.

For more, see Gawking in Lake Geneva.

Aug. 14-5, 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. 14-15, Market Square Arts Festival in Galena, Ill. This show adds art to the weekly offerings at the farmers market.

For more, see Galena getaway.

Aug. 27-29, Artstreet in Green Bay, Wis. This large event includes four stages and strolling performers. 

For more, see Packer country.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 10-12, 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. 11-12, Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair in Little Falls, Minn. This massive fair in central Minnesota includes 850 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors.

Sept. 11-12, 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. 11-12, Art in the Park and Festival of Arts in Wausau, Wis.  While you're in town, visit the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

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. 25-26, 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. 2-3, Fall Colors Fine Art & Jazz Festival in Stillwater, Minn. It's held along the St. Croix riverfront in Lowell Park. 

Oct. 9-10, 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. 9, Faire on the Square in Baraboo, Wis. This town is near Devils Lake State Park, a gorgeous fall destinations.

For more, see Devil's heaven.

Oct. 9-10, Fall Festival of the Arts in downtown Red Wing, Minn. This Mississippi River town is very popular in fall. 

For more, see Red Wing's antiques.

More information: For a free 78-page guide to hundreds of arts and craft fairs in Wisconsin, call 800-432-8747.

The Minnesota Explorer lists some fairs; order at 888-868-7476 or 651-296-5029.

Last updated on March 8, 2010