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HAZEL PARK — Nearly 100 artists and crafters will set up shop at Green Acres Park for the 2024 Hazel Park Art Fair, alongside other offerings such as pottery demonstrations, stilt walkers, aerial performers, yoga classes, and food trucks.
The fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. Green Acres Park is located at 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. Admission is free, and the event is suitable for all ages.
The fair has grown to be a popular summer tradition. Now in its 12th year, it’s organized by the Hazel Park Arts Council, a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and staffed entirely by volunteers.
Proceeds from vendor spaces are reinvested into the community through art scholarships, public art installations and future events.
“The fair is a great venue to get everyone out of the house, take a look around our park and enjoy a nice day appreciating different arts and cultures,” said Mike Webb, the mayor of Hazel Park. “Maybe you’ll do some shopping for unique things for your house or meet and greet other people in our community. That’s what these types of events are all about.”
Many one-of-a-kind art pieces will be exhibited and for sale. Attendees can look forward to a wide variety of hand-drawn illustrations, paintings, photographs, ceramics, glass pieces, woodworks, textiles, prints, jewelry, hand-poured candles, mixed-media art and even baked goods.
The Clawson Clay Guild will also be present, demonstrating the Japanese craft of Raku pottery with live “fire-in-the-hole” moments every 90 minutes, where artisans open the kiln to release pottery that glows red hot like lava, placing it in a combustion chamber where it then bursts into flames.
The technique dates back to the 16th century and results in unique glazed creations. Small, medium or large vessels to glaze can also be purchased and can be fired onsite by the guild’s Raku experts while you watch. The service will feature a 50% discount, exclusive to the Hazel Park Art Fair and courtesy of the Hazel Park Arts Council. Prices are $15 for a small vessel, $30 for a medium vessel, and $45 for a large vessel.
To keep everyone safe, only trained staff and public safety personnel are allowed within the 15-by-15-foot space immediately around the Raku kiln. Guests are encouraged to move upwind of the smoke whenever they hear the “fire-in-the-hole” announcement, watching from a safe distance.
Elsewhere during the event, teachers and students with the Clawson Clay Guild will showcase their skills at the pottery wheel in live demonstrations. There will also be a pottery contest with challenges such as blind throwing, speed throwing, best likeness and a surprise category. In the end, there will be an awards ceremony celebrating their artistic achievements.
As eventgoers walk the trails, they can also enjoy eats and drinks from food trucks such as We Juice, QueFellas BBQ and The Grilled Wrap, and they may also encounter strolling entertainers from D3 Circus, among them stilt-walkers and aerial performers.
On Sunday morning, starting at 11 a.m., there will also be the 2024 Body Party — a 60-minute outdoors yoga class suitable for all ages and skill levels, led by yoga teacher Hailey Zureich.
Amy Aubry, chair of the event’s planning committee, said the fair promises to offer a diverse array of experiences. But of course, supporting and appreciating art remains a key focus.
“What’s great about the Hazel Park Art Fair is it reduces financial barriers for artists to try out the art fair circuit and see if it’s a potential path for them to get their work into the public,” Aubry said via email. “We have both experienced artists and new up-and-coming artists that participate.”
Creating a stronger sense of community is another focus. One feature that made its debut last year and is returning this year is the Wishing Tree exhibit, spearheaded by Alissa Sullivan, a member of the Hazel Park City Council.
Attendees are encouraged to write down a wish on a ribbon and tie it to the display, and then make a mental note to return next year to see their ribbons and others in the 2025 exhibit.
“It’s about realizing we’re all more connected than we may think,” Sullivan said. “You can look through the wishes others have written, and it’s very likely you’ll see similar wishes by other people. You might not know them personally, but you know their community. And when you see that they have similar wants, you realize we’re more alike than different. It’s a beautiful way to build community.
“Really, I think one of my favorite things about this fair is the interactiveness of it all, which is something our fair has that many other fairs don’t,” she added. “Things like the live clay demos and the performers wandering the fair, and yoga in the morning. It all speaks to the creativity of our city.”
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