Saturday and Sunday mark the 38th year for the Fourth Street Festival of Arts and Crafts.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The festival started in 1977 as a way for local artists to showcase their work.
Admission is free, and it will be located between Fourth and Grant streets downtown, according to Visit Bloomington.
There will be a variety of arts and crafts available for purchase in a variety of mediums.
Artists Kana Handel and Rebecca Lowery are among those with featured work.
Lowery is a local ceramicist who recently completed a demonstration at the Venue Fine Art & Gifts.
Handel will open an exhibit at the gallery Pearl and Mable 6 p.m. Friday.
Handel is a Japanese illustrator who focuses on watercolors and depicting dream-like images, according to Pearl and Mable.
“Her stuff is so different and unique,” owner Erin Marshall said. “It’s connected to who she is as a person.”
Pearl and Mable is located only a few blocks away from the festival, and Marshall hopes people who come to festival will feel inclined to stop by the gallery and purchase art.
“We have a really great location for the festival,” Marshall said.
The Venue is another Bloomington gallery playing host to events for the festival beginning Friday.
At 6 p.m. Friday, the Venue will have a soup and bread dinner for all the artists showing in the festival.
During the festival, local jewelry-maker Lori McDonald will demonstrate her techniques and art on the front porch of the store.
Her pieces will also be available for purchase.
Also during the festival, the Venue will be exhibiting a variety of artists that are not featuring their work at the event.
The exhibit will run until Sept. 11 and will include Dan Lager, Patricia Rhoden Bartels, Monique Cagle and more.
Alison Graham
