Got Art? Brookings Does, during Summer Arts Festival This Weekend

Chances are you'll be seeing a caravan of cars on I-29 with a #1 of their license plates heading north out of Sioux Falls this weekend.

If you've lived here in this area for any period of time, you know that early July means it's Summer Arts Festival time up in Brookings, and this is the weekend.

July 8 and 9th, Pioneer Park in Brookings will be populated with artists, art lovers, and lots of vendors for the 52nd annual arts festival going on both Saturday and Sunday.

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Artists from all over South Dakota, and 13 other states will converge on the city of Brookings to display their artwork in what has become a staple of the summer months here in the Sioux Empire.

As Dakota News Now reports, the Summer Arts Festival has turned into so much more than just a bunch of artists showing off their talents. This weekend, art lovers will be treated to free live entertainment from a number of different genres of music like folk, bluegrass, Celtic, Americana, and rock.

Looking at all that original art can make a person hungry. Lucky for you, there are going to be 38 different gourmet and ethnic food booths, with choices ranging from chislic and crab cakes to quesadillas and buffalo burgers.

30 additional booths will also be on hand offering a variety of other items like natural skin products, maple syrups, jellies, hot sauces, and honey.

According to Dakota News Now, the festival will also feature living history and antique booths, as well as an interactive area for all the kids.

If you've attended the Brookings Summer Arts Festival in the past, you probably know that parking can be somewhat of a challenge at times. The good news, once you arrive in Brookings, shuttle buses will be running from the South Dakota Ag Museum north parking lot, located at 11th Street and Medary Avenue North, and will deliver festival goers to the east side of the park. The cost is $2 each way.

While the Summer Arts Festival is proud to welcome art lovers from all over the region, Fido and his friends are not welcome. Remember that no pets other than service animals are allowed.

You can take a look at the complete list of artist and vendor info here, along with the festival map and a schedule of all the different entertainment events planned throughout the weekend.

Source: Dakota News Now

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A lot of them you might have visited, some you haven't for sure, and some are old favorites that maybe you haven't been to in a while. So, while there is still a little time or even one more weekend, and gas prices are down a bit - - try and make it to one of these great places.

What can be found in these 12 locations?

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With all of that in mind, let's dive in!

Gallery Credit: Patty D

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Gallery Credit: Ben Davis