Photo from a previous ArtsFest. This year’s event is taking place on April 30 and May 1 in Athens, Pa.
Mark your calendars for ArtsFest 2016, taking place on Saturday, April 30 from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place on the grounds of Harlan Rowe Middle School in Athens, Pa., just off Route 220. There will be entertainment, games, food, and a lineup of over 175 fine arts and crafts artisans.
The juried professional artists and craftspeople will welcome you at 10 a.m. to their collections of wheel-thrown pottery; hand-tooled belts and leather bags; metal and clay home and garden accents; fine art in watercolors, pen and ink, acrylic, oils, mixed medium, and colored pencil; pressed flower art; photography; hand-made hats; original crystal designs; hand blown decorative glass; hand-made accessories for pets; handcrafted jewelry; copper fire paintings; handcrafted wood products; quality artisan soaps, lotions and oils; pine needle baskets; and many more specialty art and craft creations. All work is juried and will be available for sale. Authors will be on hand for book signings, and a variety of artisans will demonstrate their craft throughout the two-day festival.
There will be three outdoor stages featuring musicians. The Athens High School Music Department will be performing under the tent within the loop of Artisans. On Saturday, the North Stage will feature Greg Neff, MR-2 (Mutts Road 2), and Tim Wood and Jake Parshall.
On the South Stage will be Technicolor Trailer Park, Flower City Vaudeville, and Quona Hudson. At noon, the Penn York Highlanders will play favorite tunes of Scotland and Ireland throughout the ArtsFest grounds.
Music will continue on Sunday at the North Stage with Ain’t Misbehavin in the morning Upstate in the afternoon, featuring Aaron Kelly, former American Idol contestant. The South Stage will feature Triton Trio, Woody Wolfe, and Purple Lightning.
Back this year is the vintage car show. Registration is found at www.tinyurl.com/artsfestcars. This year’s show will be Show and Shine, with cash prizes awarded for Crowd Favorites.
They will again offer the “Kids Corner”, entertaining your children with arts and crafts projects. The petting zoo is sponsored by the Athens Area School District’s agriculture science program. You won’t want to miss the ever-popular clay tent where visitors can learn to “throw” on the potter’s wheel and create a unique clay sculpture. There will be horse and buggy rides and pony rides for adults and children. Over 20 food vendors will offer a tempting assortment of meals, snacks and desserts.
The Athens ArtsFest is the first big arts festival of the season. It’s easy to find—simply take I86 to Exit 60. Follow signs to PA Route 220S and look for the ArtsFest signs. Traveling north on Route 220 watch for signs directing you to the ArtsFest. For a detailed description of bands and times of performances, as well as a list of artisans and food vendors, visit www.athensartsfest.com.
