Fairs/Festivals
Lakewood Arts Festival 2026
Lakewood, Ohio
Contact Information
Lakewood Arts Festival Inc.
Contact Email: lakewood.arts.festival@gmail.com
Contact Phone: 216-529-6651
Requirement Overview
- Eligible Applicant Types: Artist
- Emerging Artists: Emerging artists may apply.
- Submission Limit: 3
Media Requirements
- Images | Min: 4, Max: 4
- Total | Max: 4
Opportunity Summary
Celebrating our 49th year, the Lakewood Arts Festival will take place on Saturday, August 1, 2026 in Lakewood, Ohio, a community located along the shores of Lake Erie.
The festival is a juried exhibition of all media in fine arts & crafts featuring 165 artists curated from across the country. The festival also features booths operated by local not-for-profit organizations offering food, beverages, products & activities for children. In addition, live music in a range of genres will be performed throughout the day – bringing another element of the arts to the festival experience. Attendance at the Lakewood Arts Festival averages 15,000+ visitors each year.
This one-day festival promotes & encourages the arts in Lakewood and NE Ohio, by creating a vibrant festival focused on highlighting the exhibitors’ talents & expertise. As a proud supporter of arts education, the LAF Board awards scholarships to students pursuing an arts education & grants to local organizations for arts programming.
The Lakewood Arts Festival invests significantly in marketing & promotion to retain & grow our audience of collectors and buyers. Advertising includes print, radio, social media & earned media on news programs & publications.
The festival has been the proud recipient of numerous awards & recognitions including both the Best Arts Event & Best Art Fair by the readers of Cleveland Scene Magazine.
The festival is presented by The Lakewood Downtown Arts Festival Inc. & the City of Lakewood.
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General Information
Requirements
Images: 4 (three images of artwork and one image of booth layout)
Jury Fee (Application Fee): $25.00
Booth Fee: $150.00
Important Dates:
Application Deadline: March 31, 2026
Artist Notifications Sent Out: April 16, 2026
Accept Invitation Deadline: May 16, 2026
Show Date: August 1, 2026, 10:00 am - 6:00 PM
Application Process:
Complete your application online and pay the $25 jury fee.
Medium Categories
- Ceramics
- Drawing/Illustration
- Enamel
- Fiber
- Glass
- Jewelry
- Leather
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture/Metalwork
- Wood
- Mixed Media (please specify what type of media)
Artist Awards
$1100 in prize money will be awarded according to the decision of the judges. Prizes will be awarded without regard to artistic category. The decision of the judges is final. Artists must maintain their booths during the festival hours to be eligible for prizes.
The Lakewood Arts Festival Board gives out artist awards in the following categories:
Best of Show ($350)
Second Place ($250)
Third Place ($200)
Best Creative Presentation ($150)
Best New Artist ($150)
Our show is juried, with approximately 50% of the entries submitted selected for participation. The cost of a booth is only $150, making it affordable for artists of all mediums. Free parking is available in a nearby garage, and “booth sitters” are made available for artists to take a break during the day.
Booth Fees
Booth fees are due on acceptance to the Festival. Booths not paid in full by the deadline of May 16, 2026 will be considered available and offered to an artist on the waiting list.
Alternates List
Because of the limited number of booth spaces available, the jury will select artists as alternates, depending on the category of media and the jurying criteria.
Festival Location
The downtown business district street will be closed to traffic and will be the site for our exhibitors. The festival is held outdoors and each artist should be prepared with adequate booth display covering in the event of bad weather. Tent weights are required.
Artist Amenities
- One free parking pass for garage located within festival area
- Curb-side unloading and loading
- Booth sitters are available to provide breaks for artists
- Complimentary bottled water for artists
To promote the show, the Lakewood Arts Festival Board uses a comprehensive regional marketing campaign with advertising including print, radio, social media, and more.
Application Requirements
- The $25.00 jury fee is non-refundable. No exceptions.
- No more than one (1) booth space per artist.
- Artists must be present and oversee their work for the entire festival.
- Use of space is restricted to the artist whose name appears on the entry application. Subletting, selling or giving of space to anyone will not be allowed.
- Specific booth location requests cannot be guaranteed.
- All work must be original, priced, and signed by the artist. Please no kits, molded ceramics, or candles. All items must be original and/or hand-crafted.
- All paintings, drawings and graphics must be framed, matted or displayed tastefully in a portfolio on an appropriate stand.
- Exhibitors are required to stay for the entire event and may not breakdown their booths until after the event is over at 6:00 PM.
- We reserve the right to remove objectionable art from the exhibit.
- Exhibitors are responsible for their own display area which must fit within the 10’ x 10’ space and be strong enough to withstand wind and rain. Tent weights are strongly encouraged.
- Exhibitors will take care of their own sales receipts and tax.
- No commission fee is charged.
- All exhibitors are required to carry their own liability insurance as the Lakewood Arts Festival, Inc. assumes no liability for damage, theft or injury on premises.
- Due to the crowds and August heat, we strongly discourage bringing any pets to the festival.
Jury Details
Average number of applications submitted each year
350
Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate in the event
165
Booth Information
10' x 10' booth space $150.00
Exhibitors are required to bring their own booth/tent.
The exhibit area is paved. Staking of canopies will not be permitted. Your tent must be strong enough to withstand wind and rain. Tent weights are required. All storage must be out of sight or behind booth display. Electricity is not available for your booth.
The artist must be present in the booth during the festival. No agents or employees may represent the artist and all items must be handmade by the artist.
Further Information
For further information about the Lakewood Arts Festival, please visit our website at http://lakewoodartsfest.org/ or email lakewood.arts.festival@gmail.com.
Exhibitors are required to bring their own booth/tent.
The exhibit area is paved. Staking of canopies will not be permitted. Your tent must be strong enough to withstand wind and rain. Tent weights are required. All storage must be out of sight or behind booth display. Electricity is not available for your booth.
The artist must be present in the booth during the festival. No agents or employees may represent the artist and all items must be handmade by the artist.
Further Information
For further information about the Lakewood Arts Festival, please visit our website at http://lakewoodartsfest.org/ or email lakewood.arts.festival@gmail.com.
Refund Policy
Accepted artists must notifiy us by July 1, 2026 of their inability to participate to receive a booth fee refund. Refunds will not be issued for application fees.
Additional Fees
Booth Fee: $150
LAF T-Shirt - Small: $25
LAF T-Shirt-Medium: $25
LAF T-Shirt - Large: $25
LAF T-Shirt - XL: $25
LAF T-Shirt - XXL: $25
Terms to Apply