The Krasl Art Center has announced details about this summer’s 64th annual Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff, set for July 11 and 12 in downtown St. Joseph.
Krasl Events Director Jamie Balkin tells us they’re going to welcome 172 artists from all over the country who will be selling wares of all kinds. The Krasl has also announced the addition of a beer garden at its grounds for the weekend.
“We’re really excited,” Balkin said. “A lot of people look for a place to sit and relax and talk with friends that they connect with at the art fair, and so we’ll have that this year. And we’re also offering an art stage in that public beer garden. So we’re really looking forward to that.”
They’ll also be serving up a special canned cocktail brewed by Watermark Brewing Company just for the art fair in the beer garden. The winner of a contest to design the label for the canned cocktail was announced this week. It’s artist Mari Barros of St. Joseph, who has designed a colorful pattern for the cans.
Balkin says the Krasl also unveiled the official poster for the fair this week.
“The poster for this year’s art fair is awesome. It is amazing. It features blueberries and cherries. The artist’s name is Amy Jamison. She’s from Warrenton, Missouri. And it’s her first time coming to Krasl, so we’re thrilled to have her. It’s just very appropriate for Southwest Michigan.”
Balkin says the images pay homage to the region’s agricultural heritage. She noted the art fair this year is once again bringing back a shuttle service to help people get to and from the downtown area, with stops planned at St. Joseph High School and the Michigan Works office in Benton Harbor.
Balkin also tells us they’re offering VIP packages for the weekend with different levels of access and perks.
“We are offering two special packages this year for people to experience the art fair. There’s our VIP collector’s experience and a new package that we’re calling the Krasl Handcrafted. That’ll give you unlimited access to the public beer garden all weekend, as well as two free drinks each day. If you log on to Krasl.org, you can learn more about both of those packages.”
The Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff will be free to attend at Lake Bluff Park, although they do suggest a donation.
“The Krasl Art Fair is a suggested donation event, so we really appreciate all of the donations. We can’t do the fair without those. It takes a lot of money to put on such a wonderful weekend, and so donations are greatly appreciated.”
You can learn more about the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff right here.
