America's Best Juried Fine Art Fairs

Looking for the best art fair destinations?

Here are "America's Best Art Fairs" as chosen by our readers.

The fine art and craft work exhibited at these top shows will delight you in its variety, quality, and vision. In these days of cookie-cutter chain stores, art fairs are undeniably the most compelling shopping venue left in the country.

America's Best Art Fairs

Top Art Fairs

1. Old Town Art Fair, Chicago, Illinois
   In the Old Town Triangle neighborhood, Chicago’s favorite art fair. "It's so quaint and welcoming. I love walking and shopping on those streets." "A local art fair that consistently brings in the highest quality and diverse art from around the country." "Located in the midst of a beautiful (old architecture) city neighborhood, good food, good music, and lots to see beyond the art, enjoy the energy of a major city and the art at the same time."
   
   
2. Park City Kimball Arts Festival, Park City, Utah 
   Takes place on historic Main Street. "Beautiful mountain n setting, easy access/transportation." "Superb venue and variety of art." "Beautiful venue, well run and organized - fun!" "Extremely high quality, great variety, wide price range."
   
   
3. Long's Park Art Festival, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 
   Set in a historic tree-lined park. "Wide variety of excellent art and craft presentations in a beautiful outdoor setting. We haven't missed a show in almost 20 years!" "Great art, many different styles represented, huge range of prices, a great mix of functional and decorative art." "Easy access with paved walkways; music, food, and drinks offered; clean facilities."
   
   
4. Smithsonian Craft + Design Show, Washington, D.C. 
   Held at the beautiful National Building Museum. "Terrific works of art - wonderful ambiance." "Quality of exhibitors, lovely setting, various price points." "Excellent artisan crafts high level skill and beauty."
   
   
5. Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Winter Park, Florida 
   All artists want to be in Florida in the winter, consequently, this beautiful show receives a record number of applicants. "Over 225 of the top artists in the country are selected, the setting for the art festival is amazing, including the best restaurants and the best musical entertainment anywhere." "The art is incredible. I travel over 1,000 miles for this show." "Excellent quality of art, perfect climate, good mix of activities for every age and budget."
   
   
6. Geneva Arts Fair, Geneva, Illinois 
   This fair is located in a beautiful historic district. "High-quality art exhibitors, an impressive selection of art mediums and styles, awesome location in downtown with many restaurants/cafes/coffee shops in the area, steps from Metra train giving easy access to/from downtown Chicago and Naperville, etc." "Artists are willing to discuss and some are working on new pieces so you can get to know them and watch their magic come to life!" 
   
   
7. St. James Court Art Show, Louisville, Kentucky 
   Held among the country's largest collection of Victorian homes in the heart of historic Old Louisville. "Great variety of art during the most beautiful time of year in the River City." "Quality of art, exhibitors, venue, food. Everything is perfect." "The number of artists, a wide range of prices, all set in a neighborhood of friendly people and beautiful Victorian houses."
   
   
8. Lakeshore Art Festival, Muskegon, Michigan 
   Muskegon is located on Lake Michigan with miles of pristine sugar-sand beaches. The art festival is a family destination on a holiday weekend. "Cool art, yummy treats, fun downtown atmosphere." "So many offerings- there is something for everyone, with the community spirit woven through!" "Great selection of artists and it's a nice town to see while you're there."
   
   
9. Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, Iowa 
   In a beautiful urban street setting surround the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park and the newly constructed Krause Gateway. "Great exhibitors, a surprising variety of art, wonderful location downtown, friendly people of all walks of life." "Great artists with a wide variety of work, nice festive atmosphere." "Quality of exhibitors, variety of art, volunteer involvement, community support."
   
   

Best East Coast Art Fairs

1. Long's Park Art Festival, Lancaster, PA 
2. Smithsonian Craft + Design Show, Washington, D.C. 
3. Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Philadelphia, PA 
4. Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, Philadelphia, PA
5. Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, PA 
    

Best Midwest Art Fairs

1. Ann Arbor Art Fairs, Ann Arbor, MI 
2. Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, IA 
3. Saint Louis Art Fair, St. Louis, MO 
   
   

Best Southern Art Fairs

1. Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, Winter Park, FL 
2. St. James Court Art Show, Louisville, KY 
3. Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, Cedar Key, FL 
4. American Craft Made, Baltimore, MD
5. Tephra ICA Arts Festival, Reston, VA  
6. Tie: Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, Asheville, NC   
   New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA  
   
   

Best Western Art Fairs

1. Park City Kimball Arts Festival, Park City, UT 
2. Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO 
3. The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, The Woodlands, TX 
4. Art in the Pearl, Portland, OR 
5. Crested Butte Arts Festival, Crested Butte, CO 
   
   

Favorite Urban Art Fairs

1. Old Town Art Fair, Chicago 
2. Smithsonian Craft + Design Show, Washington, D.C. 
3. One of a Kind Show + Sale, Chicago, IL 
4. Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Philadelphia, PA 
5. Main Street Arts Festival, Fort Worth, TX
   
   

Favorite Small Town Art Fairs

1. ArtFest, Fort Myers, FL 
2. Old Florida Celebration of the Arts, Cedar Key, FL 
3. Geneva Arts Fair, Geneva, IL 
4. Park Forest Art Fair, Park Forest, IL 
5. Lakeshore Art Festival, Muskegon, MI 
   
   

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Comments

[Best Art Fairs in America]

Please Note: Due to the pandemic, the rankings and awards above are based on surveys from 2019.

We look forward to relaunching the Best Art Fairs Awards soon!

[Jacki Bils]

Hi Lisa, Thanks for your votes for the Tempe Art Festival and the Boulder City Art in the Park. Unfortunately, to get them onto our Best Art Fair lists you have to vote for them on our Best Art Shows survey. I am not sure when it is coming out again. If you get our emails from Art Fair Calendar we send out several emails asking people to vote for their favorite shows. If you don't get our emails yet, sign up so that you will get them.

[Lisa]

What about the Tempe Art Festival!! Maybe the best I’ve ever been to!! Boulder City Art in the Park is also great.

[Liz Gilley]

Logan Summerfest Arts Faire. Located in downtown Logan, Utah. Great support from the community and out of the area. Just over 170 juried vendors, entertainment all day, food everywhere, including a short walk across the street to little restaurants. The bus system is free, it makes it so easy for patrons to come and go, plus there is a lot of parking near by. Vendors are well taken care of, they are even given breaks from their booths to go eat and relax in a air conditioned hospitality room twice daily by the hosts. While setting up there are free services for very large wheeled carts, hand carts, ramps, etc., and assistance to help you, especially if you are alone or had to park a bit away. The show is family friendly and there are several free art activities for kids to do under the canopy. Logan is a city of trees and that makes it very nice for vendors and shoppers because the shade they provide keeps everybody cool in June. Very unique and creative artists show here. You'll find a wide range of prices. Overall a successful event for everyone!

[Kathy R]

Art by the Falls in Chagrin Falls, Ohio is always a great show in June.

[Jacki Bils]

Thank you, Jessy, for your comment. You can make your voice heard this fall during our Best Art Fairs in America survey. Sign up for our newsletters so that you receive our survey so that you can vote for this show. Thanks, Jacki

[Jessy Jet]

Under the Oaks Fine Arts & Crafts Show in Vero Beach, Florida is top notch with over 200 artists juried in nationwide!

[Jacki Bils]

Hello Jamie, My guess is that there probably is an art fair that would enjoy having some volunteer music at their show. However, I would have no way of knowing which shows would like that. You will need to contact each show to find out if they are interested or not. Good luck

[Jamie Roth]

Hello,

I am the band director at Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale. I would love the opportunity to have a group of my students perform jazz at any of the Art Fair's in our area this next school year. Is this something that is possible?

Jamie

[Jacki Bils]

Hello Charlotte, Are familiar with our yearly Best Art Fairs survey? Every Fall we allow people like you to vote for your favorite art shows. The shows that make our Best Art Shows list are ones that were submitted to us by people like you. Those shows are tallied up at the end of our survey and the shows with the most votes make our list. Have you ever gotten one of our emails announcing that we are looking for people to vote for their favorite art shows? If not, sign up for our emails. You can find a place to do that on nearly every page of our website. Then, in the Fall look for the survey announcement in our emails. We hope you will take part in our survey next Fall.

[Jacki Bils]

Hello Sue, I saw your comment about how to list your show on the Art Fair Calendar.

To get your art show listed on our Art Fair Calendar go to the home page of Art Fair Calendar. Scroll down the home page and look for Advertise your Art Fair in the narrow column on the left side of the page. On that page you will find a spot to click on that says Advertise your Art Fair. Click on that.

https://www.artfaircalendar.com/art_fair/advertise-with-us.html

Thanks for contacting us.

[Jacki Bils]

Hello Becky, Are familiar with our yearly Best Art Fairs survey? Every Fall we allow people like you to vote for your favorite art shows. The shows that make our Best Art Shows list are ones that were submitted to us by people like you. Those shows are tallied up at the end of our survey and the shows with the most votes make our list. Have you ever gotten one of our emails announcing that we are looking for people to vote for their favorite art shows? If not, sign up for our emails. You can find a place to do that on nearly every page of our website. Then, in the Fall look for the survey announcement in our emails. We hope you will take part in our survey next Fall.

[Becky]

The Sausalito Art Festival is fabulous and I was very surprised that it wasn't on any of your lists of the top shows. I've also been to a show or two that did make your list and I argue that the Sausalito Art Festival is at least as good if not better.

[Sue Pajakowski]

We would like to have our 2019 Old Town Art Fair information posted on your website's calendar. Please send me contact information and any forms to be completed. Thank you, Sue Pajakowski
Promotions Committee Co-Chair

[Charlotte Heart]

We are from the Orlando-ish FL area and always love the Winter Park Art Fest, that always has great atmosphere, great shopping areas and several cozy restaraunts right around all the art tents and concerts in the midst and so glad it keeps making your list! But we also think that the Mt. Dora FL Arts & Crafts show is one of thee best with the beautiful lake and dock area, where everyone always gets the best pics, with the old-school railroad nearby where everyone loves to watch the train go by and get pics as well. ;) The grounds are huge and the show seems to get bigger and better every yr. There is an onsite bathroom bldg that is always kept clean and a friendly welcoming band as you enter the whole area, including a back-end band near the nastalgic classic yellow house with white trim by the lake. We hope to see this one in your top group sometime as well. ;) Thank you for all your time and efforts in making this site for all the art lovers!

[Tracy Kirkman]

Waterford Fair, 18,000 visitors over the first full weekend of October. Over 140 American artisans demonstrate their art and have treasures for sale. There are also another 85 local artisans juried in to the "Old Mill Shop". These artisans are not required to demonstrate their art or craft. 2019 will be the 75th year for this event!

[Joel Petersen]

Bellevue Arts Fair in Bellevue Washington? Over 300,000 attend this juried fair every year. 72 years running!

[Jacki Bils]

Thank you Rose for suggesting the show in the Village of Waterford. We appreciate that. It sounds like a lovely setting and a great little show to attend.

[Rose M Meyer]

In the small town category I would include the lovely folk art and Americana
works seen at the beautiful village of Waterford ,VA the first week in
October. The setting is an authentic colonial village and the artisans present
Amazing works. Please mention it sometime

[Connie Mettler]

The shows in the survey were chosen by a nomination survey, that we send out every other year, asking art fair patrons to nominate the shows that they think should be on the survey. This year you can write it in, and ask your fans to write it in also. Next year it will be on the survey. Thanks for letting us know about it.

[Connie Mettler]

Hi Ed and Judie, never, never would we leave the Milwaukee Lakefront show off of this survey. Please look again and I'm guessing how you will vote. Thanks for being such a fan of these events.

[Sandra Lassen]

I just got the survey for the Top Art Shows and find that our show is not listed. A perennial favorite of visitors to central Oregon, the Sunriver Art Fair is a juried fair that has become a fixture in the event schedule in Central Oregon. How do we get it covered in your survey?

[Jacki Bils]

Hello Ed & Judie, It is funny that you happen to ask this question right now. We are just beginning to announce our 4th Best Art Fair survey. The survey emails are just going out to everyone on our email list. Every show that makes it to our Best Art Show list was voted for. The list is completely made up of shows that were nominated by art patrons and art show enthusiasts. We have nothing to do with the results except for publishing them. Do you know of a show that should be on our list? Take our survey and nominate your favorite shows.

[Ed Seidman]

Connie

What happened to the Milwaukee Show? It is one of the tops in the Midwest.

Ed&Judie

[Jacki Bils]

Thank you Claudia for your vote of confidence in the Tennessee Craft Fairs. By any chance did you send in your vote? That is one way to get your favorite shows on the list. Voting takes place in the fall. Send up for our emails so you will get a chance to vote.