EAST LANSING, Mich. — Community members are reminded that the 58th Annual East Lansing Art Festival (ELAF) will be taking place this weekend in downtown East Lansing. Festival hours are from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, August 7 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, August 8.
The festival site includes M.A.C. Avenue, from Grand River Avenue to Albert Avenue, and Albert Avenue, from the entrance/exit to the Albert Avenue Garage (the garage will remain accessible to eastbound Albert Avenue traffic) to Bailey Street. The festival site also includes Ann Street Plaza, Fountain Square and the new Albert EL Fresco pedestrian space.
Festival offerings will include more than 80 artists from across the United States, live music on the Jackson® Main Stage in Ann Street Plaza, artist demonstrations, children’s activities and eat-on-site food. Offerings for this year’s festival will be on a smaller scale due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic during the festival planning and the priority placed on spacing booths and activities to allow for physical distancing. There will also be some virtual offerings on the ELAF Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ELArtFest, for those who do not feel comfortable attending the in-person event, and an ELAF Green Team will be circulating during the festival to disinfect surfaces. Face masks are recommended for those who are not fully vaccinated in crowded outdoor settings in accordance with the current recommendations from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It is also recommended that festival goers practice safe physical distancing from other groups to the extent possible.
“While this year’s festival may look a little different than previous festivals, we are excited to be able to bring back an in-person event this year that will offer up much of what festival patrons have enjoyed during previous festivals on a slightly smaller scale,” said East Lansing Art Festival Coordinator Heather Majano.
A list of exhibiting artists, festival schedules and additional information is available at www.elartfest.com.
Getting To the Festival
The festival can be accessed by vehicle, bike and foot. A festival site map that highlights downtown parking locations can be viewed here http://www.elartfest.com/day-of. The majority of parking locations will remain accessible despite festival street closures. The Albert Avenue Garage, 188 Albert Avenue, will remain accessible to eastbound Albert Avenue traffic and the Grove Street Garage, 330 Grove Street, will remain accessible by taking Abbot Road to Linden Street to Grove Street. The Charles Street Garage, 121 Charles St., and Division Street Garage, 181 Division St., will remain accessible from Grand River Avenue. Accessible/barrier free parking is available in all lots and garages in downtown East Lansing and there will be reserved areas for accessible/barrier-free parking in the Bailey Street Lot, 126 Bailey St., and at the parking meters on M.A.C. Avenue north of Albert Avenue.
Street Closures
Motorists are advised that street closures for the festival will begin at approximately 8 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 6 and end by no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8. Closures will include Albert Avenue, from M.A.C. Avenue to Bailey Street, and M.A.C. Avenue, from Grand River Avenue to Albert Avenue.
The 58th Annual East Lansing Art Festival is supported by grants from the East Lansing Arts Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The ELAF’s Pinnacle Sponsor is Jackson National Life Insurance Company ® and Corporate Sponsors are LeafFilter® and T-Mobile.