Old Town Art Fair Wells Street Art Festival To Bring Crowds To Old Town This Weekend
CHICAGO — The nationally-acclaimed Old Town Art Fair kicked off Friday with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Ald. Michele Smith and U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley were among those who cut the ribbon.
The 72nd Old Town Art Fair will be hosting more than 200 artists from the U.S. and Canada throughout the weekend. The artists work in all different media painting, photography, printmaking, drawing and pastel, digital art, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, wood, glass, fiber, stone, and metal.
It is held in the Old Town Triangle Area off Lincoln Avenue, with booths on Wisconsin Street, Menomonee Street, Orleans Street, North Park Avenue, and Lincoln Park West.
Also part of the event is a self-guided Garden Walk in which 52 select gardens in the neighborhood are participating.
Two music stages will also be set up at North Park and St. Paul avenues at the food court, and at Wisconsin and Orleans streets.
At Sedgwick and Wisconsin streets, the Children’s Corner will feature a magic show, kids’ music theater, and grab-and-go art projects.
The Old Town Art Fair is the main fundraiser for the Old Town Triangle Association. Proceeds go back to the community through grants to schools, charities, and other nonprofits.
The Old Town Art Fair is one of two art fairs in Old Town this weekend. Also on tap is the Wells Street Art Festival, which begins Saturday at 10 a.m.
First published on June 10, 2022 / 9:49 PM
Old Town Art Fair Joins Other Events Coming Back This Summer After Being Shuttered By The Pandemic
May 5, 2021 / 6:08 PM / CBS Chicago
CHICAGO — Summer 2021 is going to be ripe with color and music.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a culture comeback as part of the city’s newest reopening phase.
CBS 2’s Marissa Parra reported from Old Town Wednesday on what this means for the artists.
For the first time in more than a year, performers returned to the stage at the Goodman Theatre, and soon, audiences will as well.
The Grant Park Music Fest, Taste of Chicago, and City Markets are just some events given the green light to reopen.
And also coming back is the Old Town Art Fair.
The junction of Lincoln Avenue, Lincoln Park West, and Wisconsin Street is typically where the Old Town Art Fair is held. Last year, the streets were empty and the event moved online. But this year, the festival is back on and there’s a lot of excitement.
No more empty stages, and no more empty festival streets.
“It’s time for the arts. It’s also time to live again. It’s time for us to sing and have our music and have our art,” said Dorothy DeCarlo, President of the Old Town Triangle Association.
For the ladies who run the Old Town Art Fair, the move by the city to greenlight festivals and performing art is a breath of fresh air.
“We worried about the artists because that’s their income,” DeCarlo said.
“It was not the same last summer during this weekend, we all just felt a little down,” said Anne Giffels, Old Town Art Fair Chair.
And of course, once again, the Old Town Art Fair.
Old Town Art Fair Returns This Weekend With 200+ Artists Music And Food
The event is expected to draw 10,000 visitors to the heart of the neighborhood to appreciate work from local and nationally acclaimed artists.
- As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom.×closeSources Cited
OLD TOWN Chicagos Old Town Art Fair is back for its 72nd edition this weekend.
The Old Town Art Fair is on 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday in the area surrounding the Old Town Triangle Association building, 1963 N. North Park Ave.
This years fair will feature more than 200 artists, a garden walk, live music, a food court and a childrens corner, according to the festivals website.
New this year is a Community Outreach Area, where nonprofit organizations with an art focus will showcase artists from their programs and share information about their groups, according to the Old Town Art Fair. Participating organizations include Changing Worlds, the Buddy organization and Access Living.
Neighborhood leaders will mark the kickoff the Old Town Art Fair at 2 p.m. Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Speakers will include Art Fair Chair Anne Giffels Dorothy DeCarlo, Old Town Triangle president Neal Bader, executive director of the Menomonee Club Congressman Mike Quigley, State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, State Rep. Margaret Croke Ald. Michele Smith and Ald. Brian Hopkins .
More information can be found on the Old Town Art Fairs website.
Don’t Miss: Embassy Suites Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile