The Paradise City Arts Festival returns over Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day Weekend.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
NORTHAMPTON — Linda Post remembers the first time she walked into the Three County Fairgrounds with her husband Geoffrey. It was 1994, and the husband-and-wife duo were vividly picturing the core tenants of what would become the Paradise City Arts Festival.
They mulled over the puzzle pieces that would make the festival so successful and charted how they could transform the fair’s arena into a venue to showcase museum quality master craft and fine art.
According to Post, they fretted how they could draw serious arts and crafts lovers from across the region and country to a small city like Northampton. But their worries would wither away.
The Posts would go on to create the festival, evolve it, then allow it to take on a life of its own.
Since the beginning, the husband-wife duo transformed three previously erected exhibition buildings, created an outdoor sculpture promenade, unveiled the new Paradise Pavilion this spring, and unleashed a 12,000-square-foot festival dining tent.
“Over the years, visitors have traveled from all 50 states and five continents to immerse themselves in an exhilarating environment that features an unparalleled collection of more than 200 of the nation’s finest craft makers and independent artists, food by an array of local chefs, fabulous live music and an ever-changing selection of fun family activities,” Post said, reflecting on the last three decades. “We are so very grateful to the artists, the patrons and our community of Western Massachusetts who have supported this event for 30 years.”
The Three County Fairgrounds will once again be host to the festival during the weekend of Oct. 12-14 and featuring classic staples of the fair as well as new events that capture the 30th anniversary milestone.
One of those new activities is a collaborative mural event, where renowned artist and professor Rick Freed will invite the public to participate in painting a collaborative mural at the Paradise Pavilion, the 1,500-square-foot center that features a plethora of different activities during the festival.
According to Mariah Swanson, the festival’s marketing director, the mural’s concept will reflect the history of the Paradise City Arts Festival and the history of Northampton.
“The public of all ages are going to be able to come up, and they’ll be able to paint individual squares that will all culminate to being the final product,” said Swanson, who added that Freed will have the concept drawn out in time for the festival. “With it being our 30th anniversary, we felt like it was a great time to tie it back to the beginning.”
The mural will eventually be hung in Northampton City Hall for the entire public to see, according to Swanson.
“Multiple people will be able to be working at all times, all the materials will be provided for, and Rick’s going to be directing everybody,” Swanson said. “So, it doesn’t matter if you have an artistic background or not, it’s really going to be just very accessible and easy for everybody to enjoy.”
Aside from the community mural, the Paradise Pavilion will also host an event called “Hot off the Press!” where people can create their own coasters and notecards on recycled paper, using antique blocks to combine words and pictures on a 100-year-old letterpress with Bill Muller of Big Wheel Press.
Swanson said that Caravan Puppets will also be at the pavilion hosting crafters of all ages to teach them about the art of puppet-making.
As always, the festival will feature 220 artists from all over the country showcasing their work along with a themed exhibit at Building 2 in the fairgrounds. The special theme this year is “Fables and Folklore: Reframing the Classics,” which will explore classic fables in a contemporary lens through a blend of different fine art, sculpture, handcrafted fashion, jewelry, furniture and home décor from many artists.
Classic tales like “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Snow White,” “The Frog Prince” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” will be woven into the various mediums provided by the exhibiting artists and makers.
“It’ll be a group show that our exhibiting artists and makers all contribute to, and it’s really the theme itself is kind of reframing these classic tales that we’re all familiar with, but we’re using contemporary work, so it’s a reinterpretation of these kinds of classic tales,” Swanson said.
Readers can learn more about the upcoming festival by visiting its website: festivals.paradisecityarts.com/. The cost of admission is $14 for adults online, $16 at the door, $8 for students and free for people under the age of 12.
The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 12; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 13; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 14.
