More than 200 artists will line the northwest shore of Bde Maka Ska this weekend as the City of Lakes Art Fair returns for its second year, running Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11. The lakefront event has added two new features for 2026: an Emerging Artist section for creators in their first five years of selling, and a Harvest Market with local farmers, packaged food vendors, baked goods and fresh produce.
The fair's growth was previewed this week on KARE 11 Sunday, where Nichole Showalter, senior events manager with Homespun Events, joined artist Anna Chambers-Goldberg to walk through what visitors can expect. Chambers-Goldberg shared her own work during the segment, giving viewers a glimpse of the kind of juried artistry that fills the fairgrounds each October. The Emerging Artist section sits at the south end of the fair, while the Harvest Market occupies the plaza next to visitor parking.
A Festival Built to Stretch the Season
The fair is produced by Homespun Events, the company founded by husband-and-wife artists Ben Cooney and Jill Hayes, who also launched the Minnehaha Falls Art Fair in 2019 and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Art Fair in 2024, according to Sunshine Artist. That Sculpture Garden fair was ranked the No. 1 Fine Art and Design show in the country in the magazine's 2025 national rankings, based on artist-reported sales from its inaugural 2024 event. Cooney has said the fall timing extends the upper Midwest's outdoor art fair season, which typically ends about a month earlier, The Minnesota Daily reported.
Bringing a multi-day commercial event to a public lakefront wasn't simple. Establishing the inaugural fair in October 2025 required permitting approvals from both the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, along with use of part of a private parking lot, according to The Minnesota Daily. The paper's coverage from the fair's debut described the event as filling a distinct niche in the local arts calendar by pushing the outdoor fair season into autumn.
Not a Revival of the Uptown Art Fair
It's worth clearing up a common point of confusion: the City of Lakes Art Fair is not a rebrand or continuation of the long-running summer Uptown Art Fair. Local writer Sam Boatman has reported that Uptown's historic fair permanently relocated to Lyndale Avenue as the SoMi Art Fair. Homespun Events produces the City of Lakes Art Fair at Bde Maka Ska.
Organizers have also built in strict sustainability rules. The fair is designated a zero-waste event, requiring all food and beverage vendors to use 100% compostable or recyclable packaging while banning single-use plastic bags, according to event listings on ZAPPlication.
Getting There: Road Closures and Free Transit
Attendees driving to Bde Maka Ska should plan ahead. West Bde Maka Ska Parkway will see a full road closure between West Lake Street and West 32nd Street for the fair weekend, prompting Metro Transit to offer free bus passes and direct METRO B Line service to the fair's north entrance, per reporting from Boatman. Off-street parking around the lake is limited, which is part of why organizers are pushing transit and cycling as the easier options this year.
The weekend also overlaps with Open Streets Hennepin on October 11, which closes Hennepin Avenue to vehicle traffic from 26th to 34th Streets, according to Midwest Design. The overlapping events are expected to create a dense pedestrian festival footprint across South Minneapolis for the weekend.
Supporting New Artists and a Growing Food Scene
The Emerging Artist section is for creators in their first five years of selling. Homespun Events lists 2026 booth-fee options below $300, including $250 and $200, as well as $300 and $350 options. The fair otherwise features four food court areas and live music and family activities spread across the fairgrounds.
The fair's footprint also sits near an evolving restaurant corridor. Asher's Bar and Grill was preparing to open, with a target opening week of April 20, 2026, Hoodline previously reported, part of a wave of restaurant investment along the lake aimed at capturing neighborhood foot traffic. Full details on the fair, including vendor maps and schedules, are available at cityoflakesartfair.com.
