14th Annual Artisan Fair Opens Tonight

The Effingham Artisan Fair is set for tonight and Saturday.

Tonight, you're invited to join the Effingham community in a celebration of the arts. This event features an “Artist Soft Opening,” where a majority of the artists will display their art for the community one day early. From 5 to 8 p.m. a variety of events will be held to raise awareness for the arts in the community, including a live art auction benefiting Community Support Systems (CSS), not-for-profit community informational booths and dance performances by Exclusively Dance. The dance performances will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Fourth Street. The CSS Art Auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. along Washington Avenue, near the wine and beer tasting tent. New this year, Jamie Stang-Ellis with Stang Arts will do a live paint performance immediately following the art auction. There will also be an additional activity for the kids this year. The Mill Road Thesherman Association is sponsoring free tractor-pulled barrel rides on Fourth Street today and Saturday. There will also be live music to look forward to from 7:30 – 10:00 p.m. tonight and again on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the wine and beer tent area. Russ Howard will be performing this evening and Jeff Corman, Abby Dietzen and Elizabeth Kabbes and Dakota Danielle will be performing Saturday. In addition, whiskey sampling will be back along with the wine and beer sampling event. You'll again be able to walk the Courthouse Square while enjoying your drinks. Tonight will also include a food fair featuring Dad’s Smokin’ Butt BBQ, The Lunch Box, The Sausage Haus and The Dog (Friday only). They will also be offering specialty food, including Oma Gisi’s German Bakery, Homewood Grill, The Cookie Jar, Toppins Soft Serve and Macklin Meadow Kettle Corn both tonight and Saturday.

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the official day and time for the Artisan Fair where downtown is transformed into an art gallery with works from over 30 artists on display for purchase. The Sculpture on the Avenues outdoor exhibition will officially open, too. Stop by the Information Booth for a Culture Guide and walk downtown to learn more about the beautiful sculptures.

Artwork for sale includes oil paintings, pottery, jewelry, and sculptures. Several artists will demonstrate their craft at the event.

As part of the event, the Artisan Fair will also offer wine, beer and whiskey sampling. There will be regional wineries and several different craft beers available for sampling. The sampling will be open from 5 – 10 p.m. today and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday.

Other activities during the Artisan Fair on Saturday include the Kids Korner, tractor-pulled barrel rides, food fair, and live musical entertainment near the wine tent.

Check out the Effingham Artisan Fair’s website for more details on times at www.effinghamartisanfair.com. You can also obtain information about the Artisan Fair by phone at 800-772-0750 or 217-342-5310, or visit the Facebook page “Effingham Artisan Fair.”