Penrod Arts Fair turns 57
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Food, drinks and creativity are on the Penrod 2024 menu. Photo: Courtesy of Penrod Society
"Indiana's Nicest Day" is back on the calendar Saturday.
Why it matters: The 57th annual Penrod Arts Fair is the biggest single-day arts fair in the U.S., and organizers expect more than 20,000 people to pack the Newfields gardens this weekend to participate.
The big picture: Organized by the all-volunteer philanthropic organization The Penrod Society, the event's proceeds go to creators, students, organizations and nonprofits that work to advance the arts in Indiana.
- "We are able to support 70+ organizations with grants totaling more than $250,000 annually," John Roach, 2024 Penrod Arts Fair chair, tells Axios. "The fair is for everybody. People who love art, who are curious about art and who don't know anything about art. There's something for everyone of all ages."
Zoom in: The fair is preceded by the 11th annual Evening with Penrod, a gala-style preview where attendees can purchase art before everyone else.
- Food, drinks, unique live art experiences, a designated VIP area, fireworks and a series of musical performances are also on tap.
- The Penrod Arts Fair on Saturday features more than 350 artists from across the country, hundreds of performers across five stages, more than 50 arts-related nonprofit organizations, an extensive children's area and expanded culinary options.
Flashback: The Penrod Society was founded in 1967 and pays homage to Penrod Schoefield, a literary character created by Indianapolis novelist Booth Tarkington.
- Originally called the "Arts Fair at Oldfields," the inaugural fair in 1967 cost $2 to attend, and organizers sweetened the deal by throwing in free beer.
Fun fact: Roach said while one might assume the "Indiana's Nicest Day" moniker relates to the beautiful arts and culture on display, it's really all about the weather.
- "It certainly is all of those things, but it's also literally and statistically Indiana's nicest day," he said. "When the founders of the Penrod Society were looking to set a date for an outdoor arts fair, they knew weather would be important, so they scoured historical weather data and placed the fair on the day with the best annual weather."
If you go: The art fair runs from 9am-5pm Saturday.