The beloved Frederick Festival of the Arts returns to the Carroll Creek in Frederick, Md.
More than 125 artisans, craftspeople, and specialty food and wine vendors once again grace the beautiful Carroll Creek in Downtown Frederick, Md., for a weekend of inspiration, interaction, and—of course—shopping!
Celebrating 27 years, the Frederick Festival of the Arts invites art lovers of all ages to stroll the creekside and enjoy a showcase of the country’s finest artists,June 12-13, 2021. Exhibitors for the event are hand-selected by an independent jury, ensuring the best selection of quality fine art and crafts.
Although the committee has decided to forgo live entertainment this year due to the pandemic, this family-friendly event offers plenty to do and see, and the abundance of restaurants within walking distance present flavorful food options to suit every palate and budget.
Plan to spend the day immersing yourself in art, apparel, and home decor of every size, scale, and medium. You’ll want plenty of time to peruse the vast number of vendors and enjoy meeting those who create the work to learn about their inspiration, techniques, and unique perspective on what makes art.
What can you expect to find?
- Unique, handcrafted jewelry designed using gold, silver, enamel, and precious stones, steampunk creations made from up-cycled watch parts, woven beaded adornments, and beachy sea glass treasures.
- Uniquely sculpted clay or hand-turned wood vessels made in every color and style to store, serve, or prep most anything in your home.
- Paintings, photography, fiber art, and mixed media work for every decor.
- Large and small-scale metal, wood, glass, driftwood, and clay sculptures for indoors and out.
- One-of-a-kind clothing and accessories for people and pets.
- Specialty food, drink, and dry goods, such as hand-poured candles, honey, chocolate, and wine.
- Cutting-edge works, like digital, illustration, and mixed-media art.
- And so much more.
A few highlights:
In case you want a few more ideas, here are some unique vendors that caught this writer’s eye.
Heather Cohen of Handpainted by Heather, shares her textile designs influenced by her native Zimbabwe in her handpainted scarves and clothing. Heather uses a wax-resist technique (similar to batik—which I love!) that results in a unique, colorful look for every item.
Coconut lime wine riesling? Yum, please! Sample a few of the unique flavors available from Misfit Winery, a boutique winery close to Washington, DC, including Dragonfruit Raspberry fruit shiraz and Acai Raspberry Bomb, a cabernet sauvignon.
This book lover may not be able to resist a purse designed by Beez by Scranton. Made from favorite vintage books, these handbags are each uniquely designed around the color and style of the book’s cover illustration. More than a handbag, each is a work of art.
Be sure to experience the metal sculptures by Ron Stinson of Metal Expressions from Carlisle, Pa. These large 3-dimensional works of art are inspired by nature and capture a sense of motion by filling the three-dimensional space with bold structure, vibrant color, and texture.
Downtown Dog’s handmade bowties, bandanas, and leashes aren’t just fur-shionable, they help offset the carbon footprint too. They offer an up-cycling service for your old leash or collar, and for each leash sold, a tree is planted in the Appalachian area.
See you there!
WHEN YOU GO
Saturday, June 12–Sunday, June 13, 2021
10 am–5 pm
Carroll Creek Park, 50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick, Md.
Admission is free
More information: https://www.visitfrederick.org/festival-of-the-arts/
Masks are requested inside the show site for everyone except children under the age of two.
There will be no entertainment this year due to the ongoing pandemic. Please leave pets at home due to the crowded environment along Carroll Creek during the festival. On-street and deck parking are available.
This event is presented by the Frederick Arts Council and Howard Alan Events.
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