The Annual Oak Island Art Guild Arts & Crafts Festival will feature more than 100 artists and craft vendors who will show and sell their handmade wares. Fine art, pottery, stained glass, needlecraft, Christmas ornaments, woodcarvings, basket weaving, photography, books, posters, jewelry, toys, lawn/garden items and more will be for sale. Food vendors will be offering a variety of sandwiches, soft drinks, ices and delectables.
BESTIVAL, an all-day street festival taking place at Waterline Brewery on Saturday, May 11 and Mushpa + Mensa will be there!
Every year for over 30 years, encore’s annual readers choice awards, the official and longest-running Best Of Wilmington, has been an ongoing celebration of local culture, including recognition of businesses, eateries, bars, goods, services, people, media, arts, and entertainment. In 2019 we will be turning our annual celebration of winners into an all-day arts and craft, food truck and beer festival at Waterline Brewing, underneath the Cape Fear Bridge, along Surry Street.
And it’s all to benefit DREAMS Center for Arts Education! Here’s the low-down….
FESTIVAL ADMISSION:
Free to attend, though we welcome a suggested $5 donation. Folks who donate ahead of time via below link will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 #encoreDEALS credit!
FOOD TRUCKS
On the docket: CheeseSmith Food Truck, Bill’s Food Brew, T’Geaux Boys and Donut Bus will accept cash (and credit) for purchases.
BEER
More than a dozen local and regional breweries will offer 3-ounce tastes of their brews in the beer tasting area outside. Each taste is $2. In advance; we are offering 5-packs for $10 and 10-packs, which comes with an official Bestival t-shirt, $25
MUSIC
Travis Shallow and Bob Russell, Randy McQuay II, Striking Copper, Rebekah Todd Music, and David Dixon will play throughout the day on one of two stages near the beer garden.
COMEDY
Laughter galore will come from our hosts, Pineapple-Shaped Lamps, on the main stage outdoors, and The Cape Fear Comedy Festival comedians will take the stage inside the brewery throughout the day!
ARTS FEST
Local arts and crafts vendors will be lined up along Surry Street, selling their fun, handmade wares. So come prepared to buy awesome goods.
AWARDS:
Winners will go to awards booth to find out if they won and then mosey to the step and repeat to have their picture taken. (But anyone can step in and flash a smile or two!) All pictures will appear in encore through June in our Best Of coverage!
Salem Street in historic downtown Apex will come alive during PeakFest! For more than thirty years, PeakFest has brought families together for a day of fun, food and fellowship. The event, which is referred to as an arts and crafts festival, has deep roots within the Apex community. What started as a small community day in a school parking lot has grown into an event that draws hundreds of vendors and over 22,000 people to the streets of downtown Apex. Every year, the Apex Festival Commission plans a bigger and more exciting day.
PeakFest is the largest public event in Apex and, it is about more than fun. Live music all day, artist of every kind (jewelry, pottery, watercolor and acrylic), entertainment for the kids, food that you would find at the fair, and so much more! Vendors are charged a fee to participate and businesses become sponsors, helping to offset the expenses of the day.
Mushpa + Mensa will be there!
CREATE Conway presents the Indie Market on Laurel with live music plus local goodness for sale. Spend the day and enjoy the river. Meet your local creative community and purchase from a wide variety of handmade, homegrown and local art & fine craft for sale. NEW! Food Truck fare, beer & wine for sale. On stage local favorites the Spots, Brian Roessler and Flirt! perform 11 am – 4pm.
Conway is located on the Waccamaw River and the location for Indie Market is at the entrance to the Riverwalk from the roundabout fountain on Laurel Street to Second Ave. Artisan Demos, Pine Needle Basket Weaving, Jewelry Making, Painting and Traditional Indigo Dye techniques will also be featured throughout the day.
Conway bubbles up with creativity at the Indie Market with a variety of goods for sale from over 50 local artists, artisans, designers, and vintage makers. You’ll find handmade soaps and candles, precious glass and pottery, handcrafted pine needle baskets, colorful fibers, beautiful jewelry, healthful holistic products, delicious cuisine, local honey products and so much more. The Indie Market is all about Handmade + Homegrown + Local Goodness!
The MADE 4 Market show is an all-local, NC made arts, crafts, & pottery show that will showcase more than 100 emerging and favorite returning unique artisans from the Piedmont area. The artists and entrepreneurs bring a variety of handcrafted jewelry, pottery, wood, fiber art, fine art, body care, and packaged artisan foods.
The MADE 4 the Market Spring show is held annually in early May. Many gifts will be available for upcoming special spring occasions including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, baby showers, graduations, and weddings. From bird houses to beautiful hand-built pottery, one will find unique items at this 9,000 square foot artisan market.
The MADE 4 Market Arts Crafts & Pottery Spring Show provides the opportunity to purchase locally produced gifts directly from the artists. “Buying directly from the artists is a great way to support your local economy and connect with the creative community,” Lee Mortensen, Executive Director. Proceeds from MADE 4 Market show go directly to the artists, which keeps dollars in our community while supporting talented artists across North Carolina.
There will be live music, free activities for children, and art demonstrations from Art Alliance of Greensboro for patrons to enjoy. There are several dining options for lunch and snacking at the MADE event which includes local food truck, Zeko’s. Prepared food will also be sold within the market during the show by local vendors. Picnic table seating and indoor self-service seating in Cook’s Corner is available. Additional event details will be posted on the website and social media including Facebook.
Salem Street in historic downtown Apex will come alive during PeakFest! For more than thirty years, PeakFest has brought families together for a day of fun, food and fellowship. The event, which is referred to as an arts and crafts festival, has deep roots within the Apex community. What started as a small community day in a school parking lot has grown into an event that draws hundreds of vendors and over 22,000 people to the streets of downtown Apex. Every year, the Apex Festival Commission plans a bigger and more exciting day.
PeakFest is the largest public event in Apex and, it is about more than fun. Live music all day, artist of every kind (jewelry, pottery, watercolor and acrylic), entertainment for the kids, food that you would find at the fair, and so much more! Vendors are charged a fee to participate and businesses become sponsors, helping to offset the expenses of the day.