Ann Arbor Art Fairs

Group of four award-winning, not-for-profit United States art fairs

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Ann Arbor Art Fairs

Nickname| Art Fair
Genre| Fair
Date(s)| Typically the third weekend in July
Frequency| Annually
Location(s)| Downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan
Country| United States
Inaugurated| 1960
Most recent| 18 July 2024 - 20 July 2024[1]
Next event| 17 July 2025 - 19 July 2025[2]
Website| www.theannarborartfair.com

The Ann Arbor Art Fair is a group of three award-winning, not-for-profit United States art fairs that take place annually in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over 400,000 visitors attend the fairs each year. Prior to 2016, the fair ran Wednesday through Saturday, generally the third weekend in July. Beginning in 2016, the days shifted to Thursday through Sunday.[3] There was no event in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was to blame;[4] it returned in 2021.[5]

The three official fairs are The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original; the State Street Art Fair; and the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.[6][7] In addition to art exhibits, the fairs feature music performances, demonstrations, merchant marketplace, and interactive art activities.

## The fairs

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### Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original

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The oldest of the three, the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, was established in 1960 by a collaboration between the South University Businessmen's Association, Ann Arbor Art Association, and the Chamber of Commerce. Originally the Art Association did not believe artist would want their work to be displayed in the street stating, “No good artist will sit in the street.”[8] That proved not to be true. The first fair attracted only 132 artists, 99 of them being local, by the third annual fair there were 220 artists.[8]

### Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair

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The State Street Area Art Fair, originating in 1968, holds a special place in the Ann Arbor Art Fair tradition with Bargain Days roots, a merchant event preceding the Ann Arbor Art Fair by 32 years.[9] It is supported by the State Street Area Association (DBA State Street District) in collaboration with local businesses.[10] The fair has maintained its commitment to community development and artist opportunities expanded over time. Its unique funding model, where 100% of the State Street Area Art Fair revenue is invested in arts & culture, local businesses, and community events, reflects the fair's dedication to its founding principles.[10][11]

### Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair

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The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair takes place in two locations, State Street from Madison to William, and along Main Street and Liberty to Fifth Avenue. Produced by The Guild of Artists & Artisans, a non-profit artist membership organization, it features 375 jury selected artists.

It all began in the spring of 1970, about ten years following the premiere of the original Ann Arbor Street Fair. A group of young artists from Ann Arbor began working on a separate art fair which would give emerging artists, craftspeople and art students a chance to “take to the streets.” Calling it the Free Arts Festival, they set up this “free fair” on the University of Michigan's “Diag” on Central Campus. Funding and management for this new fair was provided by the participating artists themselves. Later in the mid-70s the event was renamed the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.

### Ann Arbor South University Art Fair

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South University Art Fair in 2006

The Ann Arbor South University Art Fair is nationally recognized as a fine arts and crafts fair.[12] The South University Area Association, the fair's organizers, dissolved in September 2020; the fair has been taken over by the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.[13]

## Art Fair Food

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The usual fair food is offered such as French fries, cotton candy, funnel fries, caramel apples and fried Twinkies. However community businesses and local vendors offer a variety of specialized cuisine from restaurants across the city in the street and with grab & go food.[14]

## Protest from residents

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Given the traffic disruption and the inconvenience of having a large number of visitors come in for the week, many Ann Arbor residents dislike the fairs and have protested against them, rallying under the slogan of "It's not art, and it's not fair."[15] In 2005, in an effort to cultivate a better relationship with locals the fairs started a tradition of holding a "Townie Street Party" before the fairs begin expanded to all Fairs activating a community event prior to the Ann Arbor Art Fair event date. The First Townie Party was planned and supported by all four fairs.[16]

## See also

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* Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Culture in Ann Arbor, Michigan

## References

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1. ^ "Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair". The Guild. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
2. ^ "Ann Arbor Art Fair". Ann Arbor Art Fair. Retrieved 2025-06-07.
3. ^ Dunn, Patrick (2016-07-13). "Ann Arbor Art Fair switches up schedule, opens July 21". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
4. ^ "2020 Ann Arbor Art Fair canceled due to COVID-19 concerns". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
5. ^ Luckoff, Nirali Patel, Kaitlyn (2021-07-21). "2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair brings culture, creativity, crowds downtown". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2023-07-20.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ "Official Event Guide" 2011 Ann Arbor Art Fair Guide Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ "Ann Arbor Annual Events". Ann Arbor Observer. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
8. ^ a b "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-18. Retrieved 2015-01-30.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. ^ "Bargain Days at the Ann Arbor Art Fair, July 17, 1975 | Ann Arbor District Library".
10. ^ a b "Ann Arbor Street Art Fair records, 1960-2005 (majority within 1968-2005) - University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library - University of Michigan Finding Aids". findingaids.lib.umich.edu.
11. ^ "not found". www.statestreetdistrict.org. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
12. ^ "Ann Arbor's South University Art Fair website". Ann Arbor's South University Art Fair. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
13. ^ Bruckner, Meredith (2021-03-04). "The Guild's Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair to take over South University section of annual event". WDIV. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
14. ^ Mary, Yenta (2010-07-28). "Food Floozie: Wordless Wednesday -- Ann Arbor Art Fair Food: The Artery-Clogging Essentials". Food Floozie. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
15. ^ Richard Wiggins. "Please Swipe my Credit Card." Internet Outlook 20 July 1997. Accessed 27 June 2006. “We know that we are the second largest impactor after Michigan football, and we have numbers that go between $12 million and $15 million a year of impact from the overall event.” Ann Arbor Art Fair attendance for the fair is very much determined by how much the weather cooperates. Jul 20, 2023 Archived 2006-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
16. ^ "The First Ever Townie Street Party | Ann Arbor District Library". www.aadl.org.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ann Arbor Art Fairs.

* Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original
* Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair
* Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair
* Ann Arbor South U Area Art Fair