Evanston Art & Big Fork Festival 2027

The 14th Annual Evanston Art and Big Fork Festival is held on the closed streets of downtown Evanston, Illinois, a city of 75,000 people just north of Chicago and home to Northwestern University. Evanston supports its festivals with enthusiasm and purchasing power! Admission is free to the public. Art Festival hours are 11am-6pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday. 

Art is in all price points, so that everyone from college students to long time collectors can find something right for them.  Art includes classic categories such as paintings, sculpture, photography, as well as fun usable art such as unique handmade  jewelry, one-of-a kind  furniture and home accessories, mixed media work, glass, wood, wearable art, art made from recycled materials and much more!

Applying to many Amdur Productions’ art festivals? Buy our App Pass for a flat fee and apply to any of our 2027 shows! Click here for details.

Festival Information

• Artist Sales: Artists keep all their sales income from the show.
• Staff Support: Amdur Productions staff is present on site throughout the entire festival to assist artists from load in to load out.
• Load-in: Artist load-in will be Saturday morning. Artists will be able to drive up to or very close to their booth space and unload their vehicle.
• Equipment Rental: Tents, tent weights, tables and chairs available for rent. Fees apply.
• ProPanel Rental: We have limited “pro-panel” walls available for artists. Rental is on a first come/first served basis, quantity is limited. Fees apply.
• Set Up/Take Down Help: Booth set up and take down assistance is available on a scheduled pre-reserved time. Fees apply.
• Hotel Rooms: Amdur Productions works to provide discounts at local hotels for each festival.
• Marketing: A large multi-layered marketing plan supports this show with digital advertisements, on radio, posters, street banners, social media, and through direct mail postcards. A professional public relations team ensures high visibility for this festival.
• Security: Overnight security is provided.

Important Dates and Deadlines

• Through November 30, 2026: Early Bird Application Promo
• January 18, 2027: Application due
• February 18, 2027: Notifications of festival status online 
• February 19, 2027 and Thereafter: Late applications accepted
• March 18, 2027: Registration forms and show fees due (in full or half)
• March 19, 2027 and Thereafter: Late registration fees apply
• April 1, 2027: Last day for refunds (less $50)

About Amdur Productions: For over 40 years, Amdur Productions, a nationally acclaimed arts festival production company, has organized and directed many of the Midwest’s most prestigious juried art festivals. Many of Amdur’s festivals have been rated in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s top 100 with several appearing in the top 50. Recent top rated shows.

Festival Eligibility

1. All artwork submitted to jury, displayed and presented for sale at festivals must be created, designed and made or made under the direct supervision of the accepted artist(s). All artwork shown must be for sale.
2. An artist may apply in more than one category, but not twice in the same category.
3. Jewelry created through fabrication and casting is allowed if the original casts are made by the artist.
4. No commercial casts/molds allowed in production.
5. Photography/Digital art: Original work made by the hands of the photographer is allowed. All printing of images must be done by the photographer or under their supervision.
6. The Artist certifies that jury images submitted represent their current original work and represent the category and body of art that will be displayed at the festival.
7. Art collaborators (up to two artists in total) producing a single body of work qualify as an exhibitor. A collaborator is not an employee or helper. If artists enter as a collaboration, it must be clearly noted on the application and art shown must be signed by both.
8. No work made solely by apprentices or employees is allowed. All artwork must be made in the country the artist resides in.
9. Buy/sell items are strictly prohibited from all or part of an artist’s booth. Buy/Sell is any art or object that is purchased from a manufacturer or maker other than the artist and sold at a festival as “original” work. The restriction of buy/sell work is in ALL categories of art at ALL shows.
10. Multiples: Limited editions of work in which the artist hand manipulates plates, stones, or screens numbered and signed in editions up to 500 are allowed and are an artist’s original body of work. Reproductions by mechanical techniques including “giclee” and “iris” prints must be signed and numbered (up to 500). Artists may display reproductions on up to 10 linear feet of their booth, and at the Port Clinton Art Festival in a single bin only.
11. AI, Artificial Intelligence: Just as photography was a controversial art form when it first debuted in the 1880’s and early digital photography blurred the definition of art photography in the late 1980’s, we are today faced with the challenge of a new art form; art made by/with AI. At Amdur Productions, we will allow artists to apply with art made with/by Artificial Intelligence and we will accept the new art form at our festivals when it is clearly identified as AI created art. AI art will be juried as all art is juried on the criteria of: Body of Work (How well the images represent a point of view), Artistic Theme (design, vision, creativity, and creative intent), Technical Competence (technique, skill, degree of difficulty, mastery of materials used) and Originality. The “author” artist of the AI art must be the person applying and if selected for a festival, must be in person at the festivals. AI art must be clearly identified.
12. The Festival Committee reserves the right to change any requirements for the betterment of the festival as a whole.

Festival Policies

1. Misconduct from an artist or on behalf of an artist such as: swearing, physical intimidation or sexual harassment toward any Amdur Productions’ staff member, another artist, or participating vendor will not be tolerated.
2. Acceptance is non-transferable. Booths cannot be split without the expressed consent from the Festival Committee.
3. All festivals are drug-free. No smoking or vaping is allowed in or near artists’ booths.
4. Accepted artists must be present during all festival hours. No agents, representatives, family members or friends are permitted as a substitute for the accepted artists’ attendance, unless express exception is granted in special circumstances.
5. Any artist closing the booth prior to the end of the show without permission might not be permitted to return the next day or in future years.
6. Only artwork in the category accepted through the jury process is allowed. It is the exclusive right of the Festival Committee to direct removal of work at the show that is not in compliance with festival rules. Non-complying artists will be asked to leave the show immediately and no refund will be given.
7. Discount/sales signs, and ribbons from other shows are not allowed.
8. Each exhibitor is responsible for collecting and remitting local sales tax to the State’s Department of Revenue as required by law.
9. White tents only.
10. Double and corner spaces may be requested but not guaranteed and are awarded at the sole discretion of the Festival Committee. Double spaces must be occupied by two 10’ x 10’ tents or one 10’ x 20’ tent.

Space Fees
12’ Wide by 10’ Deep Late Exhibit Space Fee: $675
20' Wide by 10' Deep Late Exhibit Space Fee: $1,350
Corner Fee Upgrade: Additional $200

In most fests, spaces are 12’ wide X 10’ deep and work must be contained within the assigned space. You may not infringe on another space physically or audibly. This includes but is not limited to: sitting in front of the tent, extending an obstruction in front of your tent, etc. Exhibitors must have a white tent. All tables must be skirted to the ground. Only one artist’s work or the work of two approved collaborating artists may be displayed per booth. Artists must keep their area clean and orderly.

Double and corner spaces may be requested but are not guaranteed and are awarded at the sole discretion of the Festival Committee. Double spaces must be occupied by two 10’ x 10’ tents or one 10’ x 20’ tent, unless approved by the Festival Committee prior to the fest.

An artist requesting a corner must either have the corner wall open or use the outside wall to display art. Corners are defined as a space having the ability to show on the outside wall and has at least 6’ clear on one side of the space. Corner spaces do not mean artists can spread into that empty space.

Special booth space and special needs requests will be accepted (including corner space and double space requests) but are not guaranteed. We will make every effort to meet all special requests on a first come, first served basis. Additional charges may apply. If invited into a show, please include all booth requests on that show’s registration form. Requests received after spaces are assigned are difficult to accommodate and not guaranteed.

During the festival, all exhibits will be visited by a festival representative to ensure that they are in compliance with our festival policies. It is the exclusive right the Festival Staff to call for the removal of work that is not in compliance with the festival policies and requirements. Non-compliance may result in expulsion from the festival or refusal of future festival participation.

Tent Weight Requirements for Exhibiting Artists
All canopies are required to be white and able to withstand winds and rain and be properly weighted. Properly weighting requires AT LEAST 50 pounds per leg (more in windy weather). Tents must be connected to weights with rope or straps, not bungee cords. Weights may not include cinder blocks or water jugs as they do not meet the 50-pound requirement.

Cancellation/Refund Policy
Application fees are non-refundable. Show Cancellations must be made in written form and submitted by email. Emails should be sent to the Event and Artist Manager, Alexis, at Alexis@AmdurProductions.com. If an artist cancels a show on or before April 1, 2027, they will be given a refund for the amount they have paid towards the booth, less $50 processing fee. Application fees, credit card processing fees, and permit fees are non-refundable. NO REFUNDS AFTER APRIL 1, 2027. Artists that cancel after April 1, 2027 can have the amount that they have paid toward their booth fee transferred to another 2027 Amdur Productions’ festival balance. The fee to transfer is $125. Permit fees, credit card processing fees, and application fees are non-transferable between festivals. Credit transfer will not be accepted if an artist cancels within a week from the festival start date. Credits from a cancelled show can only be transferred once.

No Show Policy
Artists who have not checked in and/or notified Amdur Productions with a message via festival phone (TBD), office phone (847-926-4300), or email info@amdurproductions.com by 7:30 am on the first day of festival, will be considered a NO SHOW and the assigned space will be forfeited with no refund.