Seventy-five artists are setting up along the Ohio River in Bellevue, Kentucky this Saturday as Art in the Park marks its 25th anniversary, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bellevue Beach Park. The festival brings original artwork in a variety of mediums, food and drink options, and free activities for kids to the riverfront, according to WKRC.
What began as an informal gathering has grown into a full-scale civic tradition. The event was founded 25 years ago by local artists Diane Witte and Barry Baker before expanding into the current 75-artist festival now directed by Committee Chair Tim Wilhelm, according to LINK nky.
A Silent Auction With a Purpose
Beyond browsing and buying art, festivalgoers can bid in a silent auction stocked with pieces donated by participating artists. Per organizers, proceeds from the auction benefit local school art programs, per WKRC. The same press release notes the funds directly support visual arts education across three local schools in Bellevue, accompanied by an outdoor display of student artwork, per the same account.
Families won't be left out of the fun either. A dedicated Kids Art Tent offers hands-on activities including marble art and face painting, the release notes. The Campbell County Public Library is also pitching in, hosting youth literacy and art activities, including storytime sessions, at Bellevue Beach Park during event hours, according to the Campbell County Public Library.
A Riverfront With a Flood-Scarred Past
The festival's setting carries its own history. Bellevue Beach Park, officially named Thomas J. Wiethorn Bellevue Beach Park, sits along the Ohio River at 643 Frank Benke Way on land that once hosted the early 20th-century Queen City Bathing Beach and Horseshoe Gardens resort, until the devastating Ohio River flood of 1937 wiped it out, according to Wikipedia.
To keep the neighborhood's residential streets clear, organizers arranged official event parking across the river in neighboring Dayton, Kentucky, at Queen City Riverboats near the terminus of O'Fallon Avenue, per the same LINK nky release. Bellevue itself, incorporated in 1870 along Campbell County's Ohio River border across from Cincinnati, is home to approximately 5,900 residents and maintains a recognized historic business district, according to the City of Bellevue.
The Party Doesn't Stop When the Art Comes Down
Once the festival wraps at 4 p.m., Bellevue Beach Park doesn't go quiet. The city's free Second Saturday Concert takes over at 7 p.m., featuring Scott Sprague & Friends alongside Northern Kentucky Music Hall of Fame musicians, per the City of Bellevue.
The festival also ties into the commercial pulse of the neighborhood. Coordination with Bellevue's In Vue merchant association has historically drawn visitors toward independent retail, dining, and historic business stops along Fairfield Avenue, according to the Northern Kentucky Tribune. That link between park programming and small-business foot traffic has long been part of the festival's appeal in the historic riverfront town.
Art in the Park's silver anniversary also fits into a broader regional pattern. Local arts gatherings across Northern Kentucky form part of Greater Cincinnati's autumn cultural season, which also includes major regional events like the BLINK light and art festival, as Hoodline previously reported. Whether this year's edition breaks past attendance or fundraising records from prior years remains unclear, as organizers have not released historical totals for the school art program donations.
