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Experience the 58th Annual Ann Arbor Art Fair

artfair_home_img0In less than 24 hours over 500,000 visitors from across the globe will make the journey to downtown Ann Arbor to experience for the 58th Ann Arbor Art Fair. The art fair will be held 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 20, through Saturday, July 22; and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 23 throughout the streets of downtown Ann Arbor.
During the Summer Art Fair Ann Arbor will transform into an art lover’s paradise where you can experience and enjoy original works of art, street performances, culinary treats and a variety of sidewalk sales.
4 Fairs Art Fair Map
Getting Around
The best way to get around the fair is to take a shuttle.  This year there are two shuttle opportunities available throughout the fair, TheRide and Trinity Transportation. Both will offer services at a trio of stops.
Trinity will have a Park & Ride shuttle stop at Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Road, which offers two different drop-off points: Fletcher and Washington and South University at Forest. Parking is free, and the round-trip cost is $3. Children 5 and younger ride free. This shuttle operates on Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s TheRide will pick up passengers from Pioneer High School, at 601 W. Stadium Blvd., on Thursday through Saturday. Stops will be made at Main Street at William and on State and Madison streets. TheRide also operates the shuttle at Briarwood Mall (near Sears) on State and Eisenhower.
Shuttles are reasonably priced at just $1.50 each way, or $3.00 for a round trip. Students in grades K-12 and Fare Deal cardholders ride for $.75. Holders of Senior and A-Ride identification cards issued by TheRide, and children five years of age and younger, ride free.
For Locals
While Ann Arborites may feel frustrated by the increased traffic and trouble parking there are still many things we can appreciate. For locals the Art Fair provides important economic benefits to the city. A recent economic impact study conducted by the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Ann Arbor Art Fair was second only to the University of Michigan for visitor recognition with July being the month Ann Arbor saw the most visitors.
For Families
The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair hosts the Art Activity Zone, with hands-on projects for adults and children. The activity zone is located on Ingalls Mall and runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Kid-friendly art projects include the Legoland Discovery Center, a mixed media mosaic and a figurine making station, with stations hosted by Flipside Art Studio, Clay Work Studio, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, Cranbrook Art Museum and Detroit Institute of the Arts.
Music and Movement
The Fountain Stage features over 20 acts throughout the four days of the Fair, July 20th – 23rd, creating an intimate and inviting sense of community, complementing the exceptional visual art at the Original Fair. The stage is located on Ingalls Mall, between Washington Street and North University, next to the fountain.
Art Fair App
For those who are looking to navigate the fair there is an app for that. A free iPhone application includes an interactive map of the fair (with geo-location, so users can see their current location in relationship to specific artists), with information about local businesses, AAAF events, the trolley, food, information booths, music stages, parking, and a comprehensive list of artists, with sample images of their work.

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