Mount Horeb Art Fair

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courtesy Mount Horeb Area Chamber of Commerce

A past Mount Horeb Art Fair.

Saturday, July 15, 9:00am - 5:00pm; Sunday, July 16, 10:00am - 4:00pm.

media release: Mount Horeb is gearing up for the 52nd Annual Art Fair on July 15 and 16, featuring over 175 artists and crafters from around the country, live music, food trucks, and tons of small-town charm. The event is returning to Mount Horeb’s historic downtown. Last year, event organizers had to move the event off of Main Street due to a highway detour, and this year, that detour remains in place, keeping the long-standing event one block away from Main Street. 

Event organizers took great care to survey sentiment around the new location in 2022, and they found that respondents overwhelmingly enjoyed the new layout and location, which runs along Second Street, east on Front Street, and into the parking lot of Duluth Trading Co.’s corporate headquarters. “We were faced with making a huge change last year,” says Jessie Bedward, events manager at the Mount Horeb Area Chamber of Commerce, who organizes the event. “We had to move the event to an entirely new location, and we weren’t sure how it would be received, but we were thrilled to hear that overwhelmingly, vendors and attendees both loved the change.” 

Downtown retail businesses also reported higher traffic and sales during what is already one of their biggest weekends of the year. “With Main Street remaining open to traffic, we saw a huge increase in event attendance, just from passers-by stopping to find out what was going on,” says Rachel LaCasse-Ford, chamber executive director. “Main Street retailers told us that because visitors were able to park on Main Street or on the north side of downtown and pass by their shops on the way to the event, that seemed to make them more likely to stop in and shop.” 

Organizers have also been working to elevate the quality of the artwork at this long-standing event. After instituting a more stringent vetting process to detect copyright infringement and mass-produced items, the result is visible to attendees and vendors alike. This year, applications have been pouring in from artists around the country. While always a large draw for artists in Midwestern states like greater Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois, this year, new artists are traveling to Mount Horeb from Arizona, Florida, Georgia, South Dakota, and New York. 

In addition to arts, crafts, and artisan goods, attendees will have the chance to try some tasty treats at the food court, including new additions Thailand in a Truck, Vesperman Farms Ice Cream, J&J Curbside Grill, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more. Live music from local artists will play throughout the weekend. On Saturday from 9-11am, enjoy Corina and the Boys; 12-2pm, Lindsey Feuling; and 3-5pm, Mike’s Mud Music. On Sunday from 11-1pm, you can hear Corey Mathew Hart; and from 2-4pm, the Alpha Romeos. This year, the music stage can be found at the Bike Depot on Second Street, near the Food Court. 

The Online Silent Auction returns this year, featuring items donated by the event’s artists and crafters. Don’t miss this opportunity to land a unique piece of art for a great price, all while supporting the Wally Keller Art Memorial Scholarship and the beautification of Mount Horeb. While all bidding will take place online, the items will be available to see at the Driftless Historium’s Kalscheur Family Foundation Community Room, which will serve as the event’s Information Hub this year. The online silent auction is live now and closes on the last day of the Art Fair at 4pm. You can bid at 32auctions.com/mhartfair23. 

The Mount Horeb Art Fair will take place Saturday, July 15, from 9-5pm, and Sunday, July 16, from 10-4pm in Mount Horeb’s historic downtown. To learn more, visit www.trollway.com/art-fair, and follow the event on Facebook. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, call (608) 437-5914, or email info@trollway.com.  

This year’s Art Fair is made possible by these sponsors: Open House Imports, SIFT & Winnow, Spellerific, McFee on Main, Ashley at Restaino Homes, the Mount Horeb Area Arts Association, Cheryl Mortvedt - First Weber Realtor, Farmers Savings Bank, American Transmission Co., JG Development, Miller and Sons Supermarket, Lake Ridge Bank, Upland Hills Health, Tyrol Basin, MHTC, and the Village of Mount Horeb.