Ann Arbor Art Fair

The highlights change every year since the art and vendors change yearly. There are always lots of booths with beautiful photographs (I am a photography buff, and I could spend hours just going through the photograph booths), and lots of stoneware, ceramics, glass, baskets, jewelry, wood carvings, etc. Most of the stuff is expensive - 8x10 matted photographs are typically - (or more), sculptures can be up to ,000+!

After walking around for several hours in the heat and humidity, head into one of the shops lining the street for a few minutes in the heavenly air-conditioning. The Michigan apparel shop on N. State Street is a great stop. Or if you're hungry, grab an ice cream cone or lemon chill from the various vendors throughout the fair.

Quick Tips:

Parking: the easiest parking places are at either Pioneer High School or the Briarwood Mall. There are shuttle buses that run from these remote parking locations to the art fair and back. The shuttle bus is only in each direction, and it's about a 5-10 minute ride.

Closer to the fair, many of the fraternities and other student houses near the fair use their front lawns as parking lots and charge between - ( is the most common rate). However, I recommend the shuttle lots, and these makeshift lots have a tendancy to park cars in on all sides and it can be difficult to leave. You can also park in the University garage for about .

Best Way To Get Around:

Wear your most comfortable pair of shoes and walk. The art fair covers about 20 city blocks, so you'll be doing a LOT of walking. There are trolleys that run between different areas of the fair, but we always end up walking everywhere because the lines for the trolleys are long.

After 2 hours in the 90+ degree weather, we were ready for a bite to eat in an air-conditioned sit-down restaurant. It was about 12:30 on Saturday afternoon, the busiest day of the art fair, and we only had about a 5 minute wait. I got the Chicken Caesar Sandwich platter (which includes fries & coleslaw) and my friend Lisa got the Grilled Chicken Sandwich platter. Our food came promptly, and the sandwiches were excellent.

The sandwiches were actually too big for us to finish (we didn't want to stuff ourselves, we were afraid we'd be sick after walking around in the heat). The fries were a little disappointing - I like thin crispy fries and these were a little thicker than I would have ideally liked. The coleslaw was excellent - just the right combination of sweetness and vinegar. In fact, I would have liked having less fries and more coleslaw. We each had water to drink and no dessert, and the total bill came to $13.25 after tax and before tip.

Every year, the art fair is such a unique experience. With over 1,000 artists showcasing their works, everyone will find something they love (though it's likely they won't be able to afford it). This year, my friend Lisa and I battled the throngs of people on Saturday in 90+ degree heat, and even managed to enjoy it! (If you are able, I suggest going to the fair on Wednesday or Thursday, which are the least crowded. Friday is moderately crowded, and Saturday is packed, since it is the only weekend day.)

This year, the most memorable works of art were the "Mr. T" head teapot (one gold earing curved up for the spout, the other one curved in a circle for the handle), the "grill monsters" (LARGE metal statues that were very gargoyle-esque - their outstretched hands held gas grills), light-up Rudolph garden ornaments, and the 4 inch by 4 inch woven basket that cost $450 (yes, that was 4 INCH, not 4 FOOT).

Plan on spending at least 3-4 hours to just hit the main streets of the fair. There are booths full of any kind of art and craft imaginable - stained glass, furniture (both casual & elegant), photography, painting, sculpture, blown glass, ceramics, pottery, carved wood bowls, lawn & garden decorations, jewelry, clothes, rugs, kids toys, musical instruments, etc. Look closely through the booths, among the thousand dollar pictures and hundred dollar glass vases there are some afforable works of art as well, but it requires some digging and scrutiny.