Manayunk Announces Plans for 35th Anniversary of Manayunk Arts Festival

The largest outdoor, juried arts festival in the tri-state region returns to celebrate a special milestone this year. Manayunk Development Corporation announces the 35th Anniversary of the Manayunk Arts Festival on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23, 2024. Three hundred exhibiting artists - and thirty emerging artists - will showcase the best in fine arts and crafts from across the country. Hundreds of thousands of collectors, buyers, designers and visitors are expected to flock to historic Main Street for the outdoor, closed street summer festival. Applications are now open with a last call for artists - with the deadline set for Wednesday, April 3rd. Artists can apply on the event website to take part in the historic celebration.

In June of 1990, Manayunk hosted its first-ever arts festival. Organizers closed the street and lined it with juried artists and crafters with the gamble that people would travel far and wide to spend the day in Manayunk. The bet paid off and the event has gone on to attract nearly 5M people from across the country for what has been recognized as the largest outdoor, juried arts festival in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and one of the largest in the country. The event has been credited to putting Manayunk on the map and garnering the historic Philadelphia neighborhood much-deserved national attention. 

Since those early days, the Manayunk Arts Festival has since built a reputation across America as one of the best outdoor juried arts events - which now features 300 different local and nationally known artists, plus over 30 up-and-coming emerging artists. Featured works include pieces from eight different disciplines: ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting & drawing, photography, and wood & sculpture. Collectors, buyers, and designers alike visit Main Street from the tristate area and beyond.

For the 35th Anniversary, Manayunk Development Corporation has put out a last call for applications - inviting creatives to join the historic celebration. Applications are open until Wednesday, April 3rd. To apply and for details, artists can visit https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=11617

Hours for the 35th Anniversary event will be Saturday, June 22nd from 11:00am to 7:00pm, and Sunday, June 23rd from 11:00am to 6:00pm. Outside of the art and crafts, visitors can also find food and drink vendors, merchant specials, live art demonstrations and much more.

For event info and updates, visit https://manayunk.com/events/ and follow @manayunkdotcom.

ABOUT MANAYUNK BICENTENNIAL YEAR

Manayunk Arts Festival is part of the 200th anniversary celebration of Manayunk! Manayunk Development Corporation will host a year of events for the Manayunk Bicentennial that honor and celebrate the neighborhood's rich history. In May of 1824, Manayunk received its name at the first town meeting. Originally, the area was known as Flat Rock due to the large flat rock formation at the lower side of Flat Rock Bridge. The name was changed to Manayunk for the Lenape word “Maniung” meaning “where we go to drink.”

Manayunk will be celebrating 200 years from January to December with programing and events, including Founders Philly Freeze Out, Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival, Manayunk Arts Festival, Dog Day of Summer, Stroll the Street, Out and About in MNYK, Manayunk Wing Woman, Halloween in Manayunk, Holidays in Manayunk and more. Watch for details, events and updates by visiting www.manayunk.com and following @manayunkdotcom

ABOUT MANAYUNK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The Manayunk Development Corporations (MDC) is a nonprofit corporation with both a primary business development mission and a cooperating community development mission. As a business development organization, MDC takes primary responsibility for the management, promotion, and positive business development of the Main Street business district. As a community development corporation, MDC cooperates with other civic and community organizations in the Manayunk area to plan and carry out community programming and physical improvement projects of interest to both businesses and residents in Manayunk. www.manayunk.com