Cincinnati’s premier art show, Summerfair, is returning for its 57th year Friday, May 31-Sunday, June 2, remaining in the same area of the former Coney Island amusement park this year.
In December, Coney Island, which had hosted Summerfair for most of its nearly 60-year history, announced it had sold its historic amusement park to Music & Event Management Inc. (MEMI), a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that also operates the park’s neighbor Riverbend Music Center. MEMI said it would be demolishing the park to make way for a state-of-the-art music venue, which raised questions about whether Summerfair would stay in the area. It was not immediately announced what would happen to the art show, and Summerfair wrote on social media that it would be seeking a new home.
However, it was announced in January that Summerfair will be staying in the same area. Jayne Utter, the managing director of Summerfair, released the following statement:
“Summerfair Cincinnati and MEMI have reached an agreement to keep the largest annual art fair in Greater Cincinnati at Riverbend Park.”
Consistently ranking in the top 25 U.S. fine art and design shows, Summerfair supports artists and small arts organizations through scholarships, awards and exhibitions. The weekend will feature work from more than 325 juried artists, as well as regional performers and unique, gourmet food and drinks for sale.
Organizers say the artists represent 12 categories: photography, painting, drawing/printmaking, wood, metal, sculpture, glass, ceramics, fibers, leather, jewelry and 2D/3D mixed media.
“What started as a small art fair’s salute to the opening of Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park has grown into one of the oldest continuous art fairs in the country, drawing more than 20,000 art enthusiasts to see and purchase the works of artists from across the United States,” organizers said in a release.
Considered as one of the top five best Midwest art fairs by ArtFairCalendar.com, Summerfair has given more than $2 million to the regional arts community in its nearly six-decade history.
There is also a lineup of live music on Saturday and Sunday of the fair, which includes:
Saturday, June 1
- 12 p.m. Eric Wurzelbacher & Noah Wotherspoon
- 1 p.m. Boutique
- 2 p.m. 3 Micks
- 3 p.m. Faux Frenchmen
- 4 p.m Tracy Walker
- 5 p.m. Wild Carrot
- 6 p.m. Woodnote
Sunday, June 2
- 11 a.m. Farm Report
- 12 p.m. The Amador Sisters
- 1 p.m. Ricky Nye
- 2 p.m. Chris Collier
- 3 p.m. Heather Roush Duo
- 4 p.m. The Cheryl & Shorty Show
Hours for Summerfair are noon to 7 p.m. Friday, May 31; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 1; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 2. Tickets can be purchased as single-day or multi-day; one-day tickets are $10, while multi-day are $15. Children 12 and under get in for free.
You can buy Summerfair tickets and learn more at summerfair.org .
Summerfair, 6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township.
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