BELLEFONTE — Art, music and food. The Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Fair has all the ingredients for a perfect summer day.
The 34th annual event will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12.
Every summer in mid-August Talleyrand Park is turned into a scenic arts and crafts haven where visitors can enjoy artist’s wares surrounded by the beauty of a small historic town. With more than 70 vendors selling everything from vintage-inspired jewelry to coffee-stained watercolor prints, the fair has something for everyone.
Steve Snook has taken over as director of the Bellefonte Arts Fair this year, introducing a few changes while maintaining the same goals that have made the fair successful for 34 years.
“We hope to offer a great event to the community that offers something for everyone of all ages,” says Snook.
The setup of the fair has changed, and several new vendors are participating this year including Joe and Chris Pagano.
The Pagano’s wildlife paintings framed in Pennsylvania lumber have found success for decades in art festivals around the area. After the Pagano’s decided to stop attending a Virginia fair that had always conflicted with Bellefonte’s, they jumped at the chance to attend for the first time.
“We had always known it was a neat little show not that far from us and thought that it was about time we tried it,” says Chris Pagano.
A host of young artists between the ages of 8-17 will also be displaying and selling homemade artwork. They will have booths set up along the gazebo/train station side of the park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 12.
In addition to buying crafts, there will be free activities planned during the fair that give children the opportunity to create their own artwork. Bug masks, sunflower decorations, chimes and insect sand art, are just a few of the projects planned for kids to participate in. These stations will be set up along the gazebo side of the park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.
For older children more interested in exploring the outdoors, the Mach One Kayak team is offering a kayaking adventure in Spring Creek. This opportunity will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 11 and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 12.
Musical Entertainment will be running throughout the fair at both the Main Stage and the gazebo stage, offering entertainment for people of all ages.
The fair offers free admission and shuttles to the park, eliminating the stress of finding parking in the downtown area. Just park at the Bellefonte High School and take the shuttle to the fair, which makes stops at both sides of the park.
Visit https://bellefontefair.org/ for more times and entertainment listings.
