The Ann Arbor Art Fair is one of the most well-known events of its kind in the country. We’ve put together this roundup of the key features to help you get the most out of it. First, get in the spirit by watching our highlight video from last year.

If you frequent Ann Arbor in late July, you’re probably familiar with the art fair. The majority of town and parts of campus are taken over by more than 500,000 fairgoers.

The 2011 Art Fair will take place July 20-23, 2011.

The Fair begins on the third Wednesday of July and run through that Saturday. Hours are Wednesday thru Friday from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

In addition to art exhibits, the fair also features music performances and children’s activities. Plus many of Ann Arbor’s downtown restaurants and stores offer sidewalk sales and outdoor dining.

(credit: theannarborartfair.com)

Four Fairs In One!

Most people would recognize the art fair as a single event, but insiders know that it’s a little more complicated than that. In years past each of the four independently juried fairs have been marketed seperately. Starting in 2011 they have joined forces to better serve guests and artists. Organizers have developed a new logo and marketing plan to combine efforts and still reflect the uniqueness of each fair.

Learn more about each fair.

Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original
Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair
State Street Area Art Fair
Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair

Stephen Kade (source: theannarborartfair.com)

Featured Artists

The Ann Arbor Visitors Bureau is featuring one artist from each fair including whimsical illustrator Stephen Kade from the Summer Art Fair (image featured on the right). Kade was featured on an episode of Michigan Matters on WWJ-TV CBS Detroit. Watch the episode online.

State Street Art Fair featured artist Su Abbott is a self-taught contemporary abstract painter.

Street Art Fair, The Original featured artist Julie Fremuth is a University of Michigan alumnus. Her piece featuring empty pants was selected as the poster for this year’s poster.

Ann Arbor’s South University featured artist Daniel Lager has been a full-time artist since 1982. He uses a unique technique of reverse painting on acrylic glass with enamel pigments.

(credit: WWJ-TV)

Highlights And Activities

Check out these fun activities at the Street Art Fair, The Original including “Make Triceratops Hats & Dragonfly Wings” with the U of M Exhibit Museum of Natural History or “Learn the Ancient Art of Making Chinese Flying Kites” with the DIA.

Find these activity stations located on East Washington between Thayer and Fletcher, Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. More Activity Zones

Art Demos - The demos will run Friday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in a tent under the big oaks on N. University. A sample of some of the art techniques you can see include wheel thrown ceramics, fabric arpillera, acrylic painting, surface design on ceramics, hand built ceramics and much more. Full Schedule

Boogie-Woogie Piano with Mr. B – Located on under the big tent on North University at Ingalls Mall, Mr. B has been a favorite for many years.

(credit: theannarborartfair.com)

Coming And Going

Downtown Ann Arbor can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the area. When you add thousands of extra visitors and closed roads, finding a place to park will quickly become a nightmare. Avoid all the madness by taking a shuttle.

Shuttle Locations

Go to Pioneer High School, Briarwood Mall or Maple Village (155 N. Maple Rd.) to get on the shuttle. Round-trip is $3.

Parking

Parking structures downtown will typically run $10 per day and $5 after 5 p.m.

Parking meters are located on most downtown streets, and include 30 minute, 1 hour and 2 hour meters. Cost: $1.00/hour, Monday through Saturday, 8am-6pm.

Getting Around The Fair

The art fair trolley will take you to all four of the fairs. A Ride-All-Day ticket will only cost $1. See the map for trolley stops.

Click Here for a printable map.

If you have an iPhone, once you get downtown, download the free app to help you find specific artists, food areas, restrooms and other attractions.

Chief Meteorologist, Jim Madaus poses with some fans at the Ann Arbor Art Fairs on Friday, July 23 2010. (credit: WWJ-TV)

Find Us There

WWJ-TV CBS Detroit, our sister station CW50, WWJ Newsradio 950 and Muevete 995 HD3 will be on-site.

The First Forecast Team will be at the WWJ-TV / CW50 booth following the schedule below. Find the booth located on the south side of Ingalls Mall on North University. Stop by and say hi! Click Here for a map of our booth location. (schedule subject to change)

• Lori, Syma and Randy - Thurs. 10a – 1p
• Lori, Syma and Randy - Fri. 10a – 1p
• Jim Madaus and Jill Washburn - Fri. 1 – 4p
• Jim Madaus - Sat. 2 – 5p

(credit: WWJ-TV)

Get More

For in-depth information visit theannarborartfair.com.

Photos: Ann Arbor Art Fairs Rewind
The Ann Arbor Art Fair is listed as one of the Best Art Fairs Near Detroit.