Since there is more free time during the summer, we get stuck on what we should do and drive ourselves into complete boredom. However, there are probably many things going on in your community that you’re missing out on. Art fairs are a popular summertime event and many cities, big and small, have them. CGM decided to spend a day at the “Old Town Art Fair,” a neighborhood art fair in Chicago, and see what it had to offer. Check out some of our favorite things we saw.
1. The art (of course...)
Paintings, glass art, photography, jewelry, sculptures ... the list goes on. You will find almost every type of art. Many artists come from different parts of the country to showcase their pieces. The art can be a bit pricey, but it’s cool to just look at all the different collections. Sometimes you’ll find some artwork or jewelry that is reasonably priced and would make an awesome gift for a friend or relative. The artists love to talk to you about their work and their stories are usually interesting.
2. Live music
Sometimes at the bigger art fairs there will be a few bands playing. No major headliners at this particular art fair, but most of them were decent. It was nice to be able to walk around, look at the art and listen to music. It gave the art fair a more vivacious feeling. There were some energetic folk who danced near the stage to the band’s cover of “Twist and Shout.” Hopefully next year they will have Beyonce headline.
3. Food
Some people come for the art, but almost everyone stays for the food. Art fairs are great to try local restaurants’ cuisine without having to wait an hour get a table and an extra hour to get your food. Even though they don’t cook up everything on their menu, they usually serve their most popular dishes for the public to try. It gets pretty hot during the day, so it’s a good thing there are refreshing beverages. These watermelon lemonades (below) sold like hotcakes at the fair!
4. Freebies
That one perfect word. Being a college student, saving money is of utmost importance for us. Scoring all that free stuff felt like catching gold. Some freebies at the fair included protein bars, reusable water bottles, drawstring backpacks and sunglasses. Good thing they were giving out backpacks. It came in handy for holding all the free goodies.
After a wonderful day spent at the art fair, it’s easy to say that art fairs are a great way to spend your free time during the summer. There are lots of interesting pieces of art to look at or to buy to decorate your place. Even if you’re not a big art person, most art fairs have a live band you can watch or tasty food to try. Check your local paper or city’s website to see if there are any upcoming art fairs or events in your area. Let us know what’s going on in your town this summer!
By: Allison Shapiro | Images: Allison Shapiro
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