Artist Ariel Shoemaker leads a demonstration during last year’s Paradise City Arts Fall Festival.
Photo credit: Paradise City Arts
NORTHAMPTON — The Paradise City Arts Fall Festival is returns from Oct. 9-11 at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton, yet again making the Pioneer Valley the epicenter of craft, creativity and community.
More than an art show, the Paradise City Arts Fall Festival has become famous and beloved in the region for its vibrant, multi-sensory experience brimming with stories to share. The weekend, taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Indigenous People’s Day weekend, brings together 200 artists and makers from across the country, alongside live demonstrations, hands-on activities and a selection of local food and drink.
Festival Show Director Mariah Swanson told Reminder Publishing that the event always serves as a nice reminder of the support the organization has from the community and the artists who come to help make the show possible.
“It’s very gratifying to have our artists who have done the show in the past continue to come back because it is so impactful on the revenue that they make throughout the year,” Swanson said.
Taking place inside the three airy, high-ceiling buildings, artists are not only there to showcase and sell their work, but some will also provide demonstrations of their crafts live, showing up close the details of hand-made works or the dynamic energy of the packed art fair. The juried showcase of 200 world-class artists and makers, each bringing something singular to the fairgrounds — from museum-quality sculpture and fine art to handmade home décor, avant-garde fashion, shimmering jewelry and functional ceramics.
“Artists still put so much trust in us to be able to promote them and draw their audience and collectors locally and from across the country to support them and collect their work,” Swanson said. “There’s nothing more valuable than other artists recommending to other artists to do our show. It’s really exciting to see this young blood coming in and investing in us because they’re confident that we invest back in them.”
One of the festival’s most popular highlights also returns through the live maker demonstrations, happening all throughout the weekend. Attendees can watch artists transform raw materials into finished works right before their eyes in a rare, up-close look at process and craftsmanship that visitors return for year after year.
Whether you’re a serious collector or simply looking for something one-of-a-kind, this is a rare chance to meet the makers behind the work, hear their stories and bring home a piece of the weekend.
“The artists demonstrations have been something that we’ve been more involved with scheduling out because we’ve had such a strong positive reaction to and feedback from,” Swanson explained. “This is a great way to make the artists more accessible. It opens the conversation. People can sit and have a drink while they’re watching the technique and the piece unfold in front of their eyes instead of just seeing the final form in the booth. It’s been a really engaging way for people to meet.”
The Paradise City Arts Festival was founded 33 years ago by Geoff and Linda Post, local artists looking to create an event where artists and makers from all over could come to showcase and sell their work. Since its founding, the festival has expanded to include a spring and fall version in Northampton, as well as Marlborough.
Each day the festival opens at 10 a.m. and on Friday closes at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Early Bird admission will be $14, and regular admission $16. Those 15 and under attend free. Tickets are available online at paradisecityarts.com/festivals/northampton-fall-2026 or at the gate. Parking is free.
The weekend will also feature a music lineup that culminates in a headline performance by Mtali Banda on Saturday night. Swanson said the music will take place alongside the festival this year bringing a fresh addition to the festival’s atmosphere this year.
“This way there’s an opportunity for people to shop at the show while the music is going on. That way you can still enjoy all of these makers and get some dinner and still enjoy a great time,” she added. “It brings such a lively atmosphere and it’s just always fun to shop and mingle. It makes it feel like a festival.”
For more information on Paradise City Arts, this year’s festival and to see the full weekend’s performance lineup, visit paradisecityarts.com.
One of the headlining activities for the event will once again be “Crafting with Color,” a family-friendly option for all ages that allows for children to have a variety of different activities to get hands-on with.
“We’ll have all kinds of activities that are nods to the kind of work, technique and process you’re seeing these master artists doing around the show,” Swanson said.
The festival will once again feature a silent art auction to benefit the International Language Institute of Massachusetts. The organization provides free English classes for new arrivals from all over the world to help them successfully integrate into the local community.
An array of donations by Paradise City Arts exhibitors will be available for open bidding each day at the Silent Auction Tables with 100% of proceeds directly supporting the International Language Institute of Massachusetts.
Swanson said the organization is forever grateful for the support its received and thankful to still be able to put on the festival year in and year out as they look forward to another exciting festival this October.
“Shows of this caliber there are fewer and fewer than there used to be. COVID obviously had a big impact on how many shows were able to keep running. We’re very lucky that we can continue on and that we’ve been able to thrive even through the transition,” Swanson said. “We always want people who are returning the show to see something completely new and for it to feel fresh.”
