Downtown Plymouth is about to feel a whole lot busier when Art In The Park rolls back into town July 10–12 for its 46th year, filling Main Street and Kellogg Park with more than 400 juried artists. Over three days, the festival will pack in food, live performances, large-scale public art and hands-on family activities that organizers say turn the small city into one of Michigan’s liveliest summer hot spots.
According to Art In The Park, the weekend fair is billed as Michigan’s second-largest art event, drawing nearly 300,000 visitors and showcasing more than 400 juried artists over its run. Official hours are Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., giving plenty of time for slow strolls and impulse buys.
"Art in the Park brings everybody together and is great shopping and food," Plymouth Mayor Linda Filipczak told Hometown Life. Event director Raychel Rork told the paper this year’s lineup blends longtime favorites with new touches designed to keep regulars coming back year after year.
Kids' booths and local makers
Dozens of young creators will set up shop around the Kellogg Park fountain through the festival’s Kids Art Booths program, according to Art In The Park. Beyond the youth vendors, hundreds of juried artists will line Main Street with paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, fiber work and photography for every taste and budget.
Getting there and parking
Organizers are steering visitors toward the Park & Ride at Schoolcraft College, where parking is free and adults pay $9 round trip for the shuttle while children 12 and under ride free, Hometown Life reports. Buses begin running roughly a half hour before the fair opens and continue about a half hour after closing each day, and the coaches are ADA-accessible and set up to handle purchases and strollers.
Special features and entertainment
Visitors can expect large-scale live art and interactive installations, with Little Guide Detroit calling out a massive chalk mural at Main and Penniman, body-painting and live art demonstrations, plus a 40-foot LEGO display. Roving street performers and a professional speed-painter are also on tap to keep the sidewalks buzzing between booth visits.
A family-run tradition
The festival remains a family affair for the people who started it. Rork says her mother, Dianne Quinn, launched the first show in 1980 and watched it grow into a summertime anchor for downtown Plymouth, according to an interview with Voyage Michigan. Rork and her family still help steer programming and jurying, keeping the event tightly tied to the community that shows up for it.
Whether you are hunting for a statement piece, grabbing gifts or bringing kids to sell at their very first booth, Art In The Park is built to offer a little something for everyone. Plan to arrive early, hop on the shuttle if you can and wear comfortable shoes, since the show stretches across nearly every block that rings Kellogg Park.
