ANN ARBOR, MI – Although official numbers have not been released, Ann Arbor Art Fair organizers said the event’s warm weather brought out large crowds this year.
The Ann Arbor Art Fair from Thursday to Saturday, July 18-20, brought thousands of people together to experience its artists, food, live music and entertainment.
The annual event is comprised of three collaborative, but separately organized events: Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original; The Guild’s Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair and Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair.
For the three-day event, the weather was warm and sunny, which isn’t often the case, Karen Delhey, executive director of the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, said she can’t remember in her 20 years of experience an Art Fair where there wasn’t rain.
“It was really nice to see the pleasant weather and the crowds were definitely out,” she said, noting downtown streets were packed with attendees.
Angela Heflin, executive director of Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair, said the event’s weather turned out to be an “Art Fair miracle.”
“This year’s Ann Arbor Art Fair has been an incredible success, with preliminary record numbers across the board,” she wrote in a statement. “The weather has been exceptionally favorable, contributing to the vibrant energy and increased attendance.”
While organizers praised the last year’s turnout, Delhey said this year was a bit different and many artists have already shared they experienced higher sales compared to 2023.
“I haven’t seen it (this packed) in several years,” she said. “It was just incredible, and I was really happy to see that for the community and for the artists.”
Heflin said the Ann Arbor State Street Art Fair’s new Grab and Go food program was a success, allowing local restaurants and other vendors a chance to offer quick food options within booths this year. The return of street performances was also “well-received,” she said.
“These additions not only complemented the beautiful art but also engaged the public, encouraging longer visits and more enjoyment of the fair,” she wrote.
Angela Kline, executive director of The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original, agreed with the other directors that the weather helped the fair’s success this year.
“Not only did each director bring their A game, but because of the weather, everyone was able to enjoy all of the things that we work year-round to do,” she said. “It was able to come to full fruition and was bigger and better than ever.”
Many artists returning to the the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original had their best-selling years this past weekend, Kline said.
It was also the first year for the Youth Art Fair. The event was formerly a part of Ann Arbor’s Townie Street Party, which did not return in 2024 after event organizers decided to collaborate on Dart for Art and the Paint the Town Block pARTy – events the art fairs plan to continue in the future.
The Youth Art Fair featured artists from grades four through 12 who showed off and sold their work at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original in Ingalls Mall, 881 N. University Ave.
Kline said this event was a success for many participating young artists, including her 11-year-old son, Arden, who sold out of all of his artwork.
“He was quite the salesman,” Kline said. “It was lovely to watch all the children blossom that way.”
The annual Art Fair “is only continuing to grow,” as more artists, sponsors and performers continue to join the ranks of the annual event, Kline said.
Related: Ann Arbor Art Fair festivities kick off with 1-mile races, live art and music
The Art Fair did not experience any other major incidents and there were no arrests made at the event, according to the Ann Arbor Police Department.
Huron Valley Ambulance responded to 28 medical incidents during the fair, with 10 patients requiring transportation to the hospital, according to a media release. The group helped a total of 19 patients, six of them transported to the hospital, in 2023.
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