Ann Arbor Art Fair

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:

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:

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.

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.