LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Thousands of people flocked to downtown Lakewood Saturday (Aug. 3) for the 42nd annual Lakewood Arts Festival.

It was a picture-perfect summer day -- blue skies, temperatures hovering in the low 80s and a gentle breeze. With the help of city workers, Detroit Avenue was closed from Belle Avenue west to Arthur Avenue early in the morning to allow for festival setup.

Two rows of booths were organized in clusters along the center of Detroit. By the time the festival opened at 10 a.m., 179 participating artists had filled the booths with their handiwork.

Lillian Horschke, a 2019 Lakewood High school graduate and winner of this year’s Lakewood Arts Festival Scholarship, checks out the LAF limited-edition print and T-shirts with her mother, Corinne Henahan, at left. (Carol Kovach, special to cleveland.com)

About two dozen community and nonprofit groups set up shop on the sidewalk along Detroit. Groups such as the League of Women Voters, where visitors could register to vote and change their name or address; West Shore Chorale, offering CDs of their music; Citizens Committee for the Lakewood Animal Shelter, which was selling soft drinks, water and cat/dog treats; and Lakewood Historical Society, which was offering information on various programs and selling cards and other items, were among those who had booths this year.

Hungry festival-goers could purchase food, water, soft drinks, snacks or other goodies from nonprofit groups, food trucks or merchants in the festival area. Most food trucks were clustered at the western end of the festival area near the Lakewood Public Library, where people took advantage of the shade on the library’s front lawn to relax with their refreshments.

Food trucks included Bearden’s, Hatfield’s Goode Grub, Italian Creations, The Sweet Spot, Touch and Wild Spork near the library; Woolson’s Popcorn and Lemonade at Gladys Avenue and Detroit; and Dang Good Food near St. Charles Avenue and Detroit.

Caleb Skelton and Elissa Hastings of Wildfoot Studio in Cleveland were honored for best creative presentation for their jewelry booth. (Carol Kovach, special to cleveland.com)

Festival organizers assigned musical entertainment on two stages: the Mars stage at Mars Avenue and Detroit near the library; and the Park stage near Cook Avenue and Detroit. A variety of musical acts entertained the crowd throughout the day.

Beck stage, at St. Charles and Detroit, anchored the festival’s eastern end, providing hands-on and family fun demonstrations, including a pottery demonstration, face painting, origami, live painting and art for sale, filming of a documentary with Duarte’s Collective Group, chalk art and adopt-a-pot unique pottery for sale. Several musical acts also entertained visitors.

Shoppers peruse ceramic works at a booth during the 42nd annual Lakewood Arts Festival. (Carol Kovach, special to cleveland.com)

The Cleveland Museum of Art Studio Go was on hand much of the day, offering hands-on art experiences.

“This year’s show was a little bittersweet,” said Karolyn Isenhart, LAF board and scholarship chair, noting that two people with longtime ties to the festival died earlier this year. One was Roger Coast, who had participated in each of the previous 41 festivals. The other was Karen Cooper, longtime LAF board chair.

Isenhart said many artists in the juried show return because they enjoy the show so much and because sales generally are strong.

“Everyone who’s been to the festival more than once probably has something from the festival on the wall of their home or office,” Isenhart said.

Large crowds filled Detroit Avenue while visiting booths of participating artists, community groups and local merchants during the Lakewood Arts Festival on Aug. 3. (Carol Kovach, special to cleveland.com)

About 300 artists submit applications each year for spots in the juried show, according to Isenhart. A group of jurors meets in April each year to view every submission and determine who will be admitted to the show.

Isenhart said entries are divided into the show categories -- additional media, ceramics, drawing, illustration, printmaking, enamel, fiber, glass, jewelry, leather, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture/metalwork and wood.

Five awards are presented each year after the festival juror panel reviews each booth. This year’s judges were Tracy Bracken, artist and educator; Josiah Hall, photographer; and Eagan Rackley, digital artist.

Liu Wen of The Silk Needle, Olmsted Falls, won best of show this year. Best creative presentation went to Elissa Hastings and Caleb Skelton of Wildfoot Studio in Cleveland. Best new artist was Kathleen Marcotte and Sara Bicknell, Unibrow Society in Lakewood. Second place went to Amelia Kieras, Amelia Kieras Paper Arts in Pittsburgh, and third place to Yumiko Goto of Lakewood, ceramics.

Lillian Horschke, a 2019 Lakewood High School graduate, was the recipient of the 2019 Lakewood Arts Festival Scholarship. She plans to attend Ohio University’s School of Art + Design this fall. During the festival, her work was on display at the Lakewood Public Library.

Special festival T-shirts, tote bags and limited-edition prints created from a design by Brian Andrew Jasinski of Gray Cardigan were available for purchase. Jasinski is a LAF board member and artist and jury chair.

Isenhart said artists interested in applying for the 2020 show, which will take place the first Saturday of August, should watch the LAF website, lakewoodartsfest.org, for updates and a link to the application, as well as information on donating to support the festival and details on previous festivals.

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