While you're at Oktoberfest, check out the folk art festival
If variety is the spice of life, then this year's Country Folk Art Festival at the Kane County Fairgrounds promises to be one flavorful event.
More than 63 artists will be onsite at the fairgrounds' new indoor expo center at 525 S Randall Road. Visitors will get the opportunity to look at and purchase a variety of handmade goods, everything from whimsical whirligigs to hand crafted pewter items.
The art festival opens for business at 5 p.m. on Friday and closes up at 10 p.m. The fest will also run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The art fest will have a few special "guest stars" of sorts over the course of the weekend. Will Moses, great-grandson of famed artist Grandma Moses, will be at the fest the entire weekend signing copies of his children's books.
Tom and Pat Hooper of ASL Pewter, the company that supplied all the pewter used in the HBO miniseries "John Adams," will be giving a presentation at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The festival charges a one-time admission of $8, which is good for entry the entire weekend. Children 12 and younger are free. Hot chocolate and homemade treats will be sold every day.
This will be the 27th year for the festival, one of the few art shows to showcase folk art in the Midwest. According to organizers folk art and artists have a style all their own that is different than traditional "fine art."
"Folk art is not fine art, it's wearable art. Folk art is really done by people with no formal education in art. These are people who create from the heart," event promoter Judy Marks said of the artists who will present at this weekend's festival. The artists are a diverse group coming from at least eight different states.
Marks, 69, is an antique dealer from Glen Ellyn. She first became hooked on collecting folk art after attending a show and being wowed by the variety of art on display. Now she and her husband work to promote the Country Folk Art Festival and spread the word about an art festival that is more than just your average craft show.
"The Folk Art Festival is different because we're featuring reproductions of American and contemporary folk art," Marks, said. "There will be unique, one of a kind items as opposed to a craft show type setting. We allow no imports. Every one of our artists is there to represent their product and everything is made in America, no imports or mass productions."
Admission is $8 and good for the entire weekend; children 12 and younger admitted free. Visit folkartfest.com for details.