Manayunk Arts Festival returns this weekend with jewelry, acrylics and quirky sculptures galore

Art aficionados looking to expand their collection have a plethora of choices at this weekend’s 22nd annual Manayunk Arts Festival.

Whether you’re an art expert or not, you’ll have the opportunity to view and or purchase the work of nearly 300 artists, including painters, artisans and photographers.

 

Their artwork will be showcased along Main Street from Green Lane to Shurs Lane this Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26. Look for the white tents.

From paintings, fiber, ceramics, wood and glass art to jewelry, the festival offers something for everyone.

This year marks the festival’s first time receiving state funds—a sum of $20,000 used for marketing the arts festival to artists and the wider region. The Manayunk Development Corporation, revenue and sponsorship also fund the festival.

The annual arts event was launched “as a way to focus the spotlight on Main Street, its dining and shopping,” Jane Lipton, executive director of the Manayunk Development Corporation said.

She attended the first festival in 1990, back when the show had 250 artists. This year the 262 artists come from across 24 states.

“We’re the largest juried, outdoor arts and crafts festival in the region,” she said. If weather permits, the festival crowd can swell to as many as 100,000 people per day.

Businesses in the area have found the festival greatly beneficial.

“It brings a clientele that hasn’t been to Manayunk before. It gives us a chance to showcase our little town,” Michael Rose, owner of Manayunk Brewery said. “It’s one of the nicest events in the Delaware Valley.”

The local pub will hold specials for the entire weekend. Starting Friday, the Summer Paradise and the Leinenkugel lagers will be priced lower, according to Rose.

Martha Vidauri, marketing and events coordinator for Manayunk Development Corporation cited a few returning artists that she has enjoyed in the past.

Daniel Nie, a painter from Virginia, Shawn Queenan from Strausberg, Pennsylvania, who does acrylic oil on 3D wood and David Barkby from Dover, Delaware, who does wooden sculptures are among her many favorites.

“It’s a really great place to start your art collection,” she said.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Main Street will close between 2 and 2:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and remain closed until the end of the festival on Sunday.

Cars that are not off the street by 4 a.m. on Saturday will be towed to a holding lot, especially if parked in a spot reserved for a tent.

Round trip shuttles are available for $3 at the 555 City Avenue building and the Ivy Ridge Train Station on Umbria Street.

The best mode of transportation is SEPTA’s Manayunk Norristown regional rail line, which drops you off one block from the festival.

The Manayunk Development Corporation also organizes the Eco-Arts Festival, Second Saturday, Manayunk on Ice and Holidays in Manayunk.