Glen Ellyn Festival of the Arts 2026

For the 57th year, the Festival of the Arts will be returning to picturesque Lake Ellyn. This fine arts show serves as a destination event, bringing more than 3,000 visitors from the Chicagoland area to Lake Ellyn. You should expect visitors to come and spend the day browsing the booths, listening to live music, enjoyin the beautufl Lake Ellyn Park and exploring downtown Glen Ellyn for more shopping and dining opportunities. 

The Alliance of Downtown Glen Ellyn is presenting the festival. We are a downtown organization whose mission - and passion is to create Glen Ellyn as a destination. We have a 16-year track record of successful events.

We invite you to participate in the 57th Annual Festival of the Arts in Glen Ellyn!

This year's show will be August 22 and 23. Show hours are from 10am-5pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday.

Festival of the Arts is run by the Alliance of Downtown Glen Ellyn. We will be bringing juried art of all media to the beautiful park surrounding Lake Ellyn and welcoming thousands of visitors to enjoy and purchase. All applicants will be juried into the show and will be eligible for vendor awards.

ARTIST AMENITIES

• Commission-free sales
• Friday set-up
• Artist only break room with AC and restrooms
• Bottled water throughout the day, morning coffee and pastries Saturday and Sunday
• Booth sitters available
• Booths on grass
• Professional Staff onsite during the entire show
• Extensive Marketing and PR social media campaigns
• Overnight security
• Dedicated website showcasing artist contact info hyperlinked
• Festival programs with a list of attending artists
• Food Trucks available for purchase on site
• Live music & Beer tent on the festival grounds

AWARDS
$1,600 in cash prizes.

• $600 Best of Show award
• $300 Awards of Excellence - 3D medium
• $300 Awards of Excellence - 2D medium
• $200 Awards of Merit - 3D medium
• $200 Awards of Merit 2D medium
• Four Judges Awards where the recipients receive a complimentary booth space in next year's show.
• Award winners are selected by professional judge(s) for excellence, regardless of media.

PUBLICITY
The Festival of the Arts in Glen Ellyn is promoted through featured newspaper articles, internet and print advertising, eblasts, magazine ads, social media marketing, and broadcast radio promotion.


EXHIBITING ARTIST GUIDELINES & ACCEPTED MEDIUMS
Participation is open to all fine art. All work represented must be of an original concept, executed and designed by the artist in attendance. The Festival of the Arts reserves the right to remove any and all works deemed not suitable at the time of the festival. It also reserves the right to select or invite other applicants in order to ensure a balance of mediums. The Festival of the Arts reserves the right to refuse any application at their discretion and refund the artist booth fee. Any artist not conforming to the Show Rules will be removed. No fees will be refunded after July 10.

The following mediums will be included in each show: ceramics, drawing, fiber non-functional, fiber wearable, paper non-functional, furniture, glass, jewelry, acrylic, oil, watercolor, pastel, sculpture, wood, mixed media, collage, photography, and printmaking. Prints in limited editions are allowed, and must be hand signed and numbered.

Individual consideration of any media not listed will be given upon request. No work which has been made with commercial kits, prefabricated pieces, or assembly line techniques will be allowed.

Artists are responsible for their own tents, display tables, chairs and related materials.

JURY PROCEDURE
Five images are required for the jury process: four images of the artist's work and one of the booth as it appears set up for sales.

The 2026 Festival of the Arts will be capped at 70 artists. There will be a waitlist after the 70 artists with the highest jury scores have been selected. Artist on the waitlist will be notified in order if spaces become available.

Artists will be selected by a panel of qualified judges through this electronic format and electronic images emailed by those not using ZAPPlication. Artist images will be viewed collectively in the same room. Artists will be notified of acceptance by e-mail and through the Zapplication process as rolling admissions but no later than June 26, 2026.

Booth fees of accepted artists are due by July 17, 2026 to guarantee your space. After July 18 artists on the waitlist will be notified of any remaining available booth spaces. The booth spaces will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis until the 70 booth spaces are filled.

SALES TAX
The collection and remittance of Sales Tax is the responsibility of the exhibiting Artist. As of Jan. 1, 2025, the local sales tax is 8.25%. Please check with Festival of the Arts volunteers to confirm the sales tax when you are at the event.

 

RULES AND REGULATIONS

• Artist-exhibited work must be consistent with images submitted for jury process.
• The artist who is named on the application must be onsite during show hours on both days of the festival.
• Staking-in is not allowed due to proximity of trees and underground electric.
• Booths should have a professional look. Artists will be provided with name tags and identification cards which must be prominently displayed.
• Manufactured pieces, or components containing manufactured pieces, are not permitted to exhibit (some exceptions may include recycled or vintage items in some 3D work. Please contact us before applying if you have any questions)
• Although we provide overnight security, artists are fully responsible for the care, safety and security of their work and property.
• Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the park, only the desinated beer tent area.
• Displays may not extend beyond booth space. Browse bins must be aesthetically pleasing, and may not obstruct traffic flow or sidewalks. Racks, bins or other display elements may not be placed outside of the artist's space so as to restrict or impede pedestrian traffic.
• Portable generators are not allowed. We suggest bringing portable batteries to charge point-of-sale systems.
• The Festival of the Arts in Glen Ellyn reserves the right to request removal of any items you have not been approved to sell if we suspect they are not of original design, or if items are not consistent with those submitted to the jury.
• Driving on the grass is not permitted. Driving along the preimeter or on the boathouse drive is ok. 

This list is not all-inclusive and may be amended at any time.

BOOTH DISPLAY SPACE

The footprint of each display space is a minimum of 10 feet across the front and 11 feet deep. We will attempt to honor specific space requests on a first-come, first-served basis after receiving the booth fee; however, final booth location will be determined by the needs of the show to ensure a proper balance of art media throughout the show grounds. A layout with specific booth numbers will be provided with the acceptance email.
Final booth location and numbers are subject to change and will be available about two weeks before the event. Only one artist is allowed per booth unless work Is collaborative. Artists are responsible for their own tents and display tables. All tents must be able to be secured in case of inclement weather.

The booth fee is $225. and is due by July 17, 2026. Double booth spaces are available for $450. Due to trees and benches, double booth spaces are not available in all areas of the show. There will be a 75% refund of the booth fee if the request is received before July 10. After July 10, there will be no refund of the booth fee.

The booth fee is $250. and is due by July 17, 2026. Double booth spaces are available for $450. Due to trees and benches, double booth spaces are not available in all areas of the show. There will be a 75% refund of the booth fee if the request is received before July 10. After July 10, there will be no refund of the booth fee.

The application fee is non-refundable.