Beginning in 2022, the Talkeetna Art Festival has invited artisan craft vendors from across the state to come to Talkeetna and sell goods. According to Denali Arts Council Executive Director Michelle Crow, the event developed from wanting to engage the community and get them outside following a particularly slow winter post-COVID.
“We just wanted to offer something in the community to lift spirits, be artsy, but also free and friendly to everyone in the community, and potentially drum up some in-state tourists,” she said.
That first year, the festival had fewer than 20 vendors. That number gradually increased to around two dozen over the next two years. This year, the number has doubled, with over 50 artists attending. That staggering increase meant the Denali Arts Council had to expand the festivities beyond just the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar. To accommodate the increase in vendors, the Denali Arts Council partnered with the Talkeetna Historical Society, where some of the artists will set up booths in the museum parking lot.
Crow said that besides the numerous Alaska artists in attendance, the event features performances from various musicians and an aerialist performance.
The Talkeetna Art Festival begins May 24th.
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