There are not a lot of people who are able to bring The Rolling Stones, Captain America, and a giraffe together. The 42nd Annual Lubeznik Art Festival featured all of the above for the Michigan City community to check out on Saturday, August 17.
Jessie Sexton, marketing manager at the Lubeznik Center For The Arts, described what makes this annual tradition a special day for their staff and everyone in attendance.
“It’s exciting that we have this festival on our grounds to give people a full opportunity to check out these artists as well as what we have to offer,” Sexton said. “It’s only $5 for adults and kids that are 16 years old or younger get in for free on our first day. The fest is free to the public on Sunday thanks to McDonald’s of La Porte County. It’s a pretty fun festival that’s affordable and features a strong group of artists.”
According to Sexton, this year’s festival featured more than 75 artists. While there were a lot of familiar faces among those artists, she’s pleased with the amount of newcomers that are participating this year. With this being the 42nd annual festival, she believes the community has always responded well to this Michigan City tradition.
“This is always one of our most fun events because it’s all for the community,” Sexton said. “We have live mural paintings that everyone can collaborate on painting together. The kids always love the face painting activity we have here. We always try to make this as dynamic as we can with a ton of diverse artists. This event is for everyone and we try to do that every year.”
The Lubeznik Art Center always ensures that this festival is a success through months of preparation. Sexton shares that their team got started piecing everything together at the start of January.
Along with the artists showcasing their work and additional outdoor activities, attendees were able to check out their work from inside as well. Many visitors checked out the full display, which included a section of Marvel superheroes.
The event also included a performance by the Michigan City Chamber Music Festival, known as the “Hildegard to Avant Garde” family concert.
Gigi McCabe-Miele, board member at the Lubeznik Center For The Arts, has been a longtime fan of this event. She cherishes being able to connect with artists.
“I try to get here early to scope things out and see what everyone has to offer,” McCabe-Miele said. “I’m always glad to see artists who come back each year. Between the woven baskets, unusual socks, and all the jewelry, these artists put some incredible things together.”
Another element of the festival that McCabe-Miele appreciates is the variety of options that visitors can find at each booth.
"There are a number of people that have some big artwork that’s absolutely beautiful,” McCabe-Miele said. “It’s also nice that there are a lot of miniature versions of their work as well. I’ve got a lot of greeting cards here before. It’s just nice that there’s always something that people can afford.”
If you were unable to attend on Saturday, the festival will be open once again on Sunday, August 18. The event is free admission and runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
For more information on the Lubeznik Center For The Arts, you can visit their website.
