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BLOOMSBURG -- Dedicated to bringing the arts to all communities throughout the region, The Exchange will once again present Columbia County's biggest one-day fine art and music event of the year, according to a press release.
The 18th annual ArtFest will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 22 in its convenient, attractive and shady location on Market Street in downtown Bloomsburg, from the monument down to 3rd Street.
ArtFest will showcase more than 50 artists' original work, accompanied by seven hours of live music, local and regional food vendors, and fun and educational activities for people of all ages.
"A summertime art party, ArtFest draws attendees from throughout our region, and it draws artists from across Pennsylvania," the press release said.
As always, the event takes place rain or shine and has no admission fee.
The exhibitors who will display and sell include painters, photographers, potters, jewelers, sculptors, fabric artists, woodworkers, skincare experts, bonsai growers, and more.
"Some of these artists have exhibited at ArtFest since its first years on Center Street, while some will appear here for the first time, including painters, a woodworker, and a potter," said the press release. "The exhibitors come from across Pennsylvania, from Tunkhannock to Downington to Clearfield and everywhere in between."
Attendees will also find great food and beverages from local and regional vendors - Project Pizza Company, Boppalouie's, Srijom's Place, Off The Grill, Latin Flavor NJ, Dida's Incredible Edibles, Sugar Shack Lemonade, and Xpress-Oh Coffee.
Local and regional musicians who will perform throughout the day include One Acre West, the Uptown Music Collective, AC II & His Band, and the Groove Archive Duo.
Many non-profit organizations will also have booths. Among them, The Exchange's Art Cart will provide a hands-on activity for kids of all ages, using simple materials - many of them recycled - to help bring out the beauty inside each person; and the Fishing Creek Watershed Association will host its annual container-garden contest.
Other non-profits greeting visitors include: the Bloomsburg Public Library, the Columbia County Traveling Library, the Bloomsburg Children's Museum, Columbia-Montour Action Together, BeSMART For Kids, the River Poets, The Women's Center, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Cats in Bloom, the Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society, Wesley United Methodist Church, Eos Therapeutic Riding Center, the Bloomsburg Singers, the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard, the Bloomsburg Human Relations Commission, Berwick Black Box Theater, and Jeremy's Journey.
In its friendly location, ArtFest attracts thousands of attendees, among them Bloomsburg University students and their parents in town on the last move-in weekend before the semester starts. Downtown Bloomsburg has plenty of parking; meters require payment from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and in addition to coins one can now also pay through the Passport app: To sign up, go to PassportParking.com.
Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc., the non-profit organization devoted to the betterment of Bloomsburg's downtown commercial district, founded ArtFest in 2009; The Exchange, the non-profit that operates a Main Street Gallery and produces music events, has produced ArtFest since 2016; and the Town of Bloomsburg has provided the venue and support services each year. DBI and The Exchange thank the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau and FastBridge Fiber for their support of ArtFest; the event also receives support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
For more information about The Exchange and ArtFest, visit ExchangeArts.org and Facebook.com/BloomsburgArtFest or call 570-317-2596.