The 70th Annual Bar Harbor Art Fair... Cancelled

Normally, at this time in June, I’d be busy getting new prints ready, packing my car up and heading on the road for the 1,300 mile journey to Bar Harbor, Maine, for the annual Art in the Park fair. Only this year, due to the pandemic, the fair has been postponed until late August, most likely cancelled all together. Almost all of the artists are locals- all from Maine anyway. Except me.

So why do I drive for 2-1/2 days all the way to the far corner of the country to do the art fair? It’s definitely not for the money, though some years have been better than others. For me, the journey to get there is half the fun. My car is packed- so full I barely have room for a small bag of clothes. But with a good audiobook and beautiful summer weather, I love the drive, crossing northern Indiana, Ohio, clipping Pennsylvania then passing through New York state into Massachusetts, New Hampshire and finally into Maine. It’s highway driving all the way, mostly through rural rolling farmland.

A few hours after my arrival on Friday afternoon, I’m facing a bare, grassy patch in Bar Harbor’s Village Green park on a Saturday morning- my ‘home’ for the next two days. It’ll take me about three hours to set up my canopy and hang my prints, set up my table and place a few books out. All told, I probably have about 130 prints out, from 8x10’s to the large 40x60” print that always hangs at the back of my booth. Then the people come.

Sometimes no one goes by for a long time. Then there’s a rush and my booth is full of people asking questions, commenting on the images and occasionally, spending some money. I really enjoy the feedback and the questions– it helps me to know what people think of my images and which ones are popular- and which ones aren’t. I’m usually interviewed by the local radio station (“What brings you here from so far away?”). And so it goes, for two full days, until at 5pm on Sunday afternoon– Father’s Day- I start to pack up. Dismantling everything takes a couple hours- it’s hard physical labor, but it’s a huge relief to have everything back in the car, safe from the rain and wind that sometimes plagues outdoor art fairs (last year was particularly bad).

Then I’m free.

For the next three days, I get to visit Acadia on my own with my camera, exploring favorite places and finding new locations to photograph. The days are long so I have plenty of time to spend in the park, walking the carriage trails or sitting by the ocean watching the waves endlessly coming in and going out. While the colors aren’t as good as they are in October, I still find plenty to photograph, usually far from the summer crowds that clog the popular spots.

Yep, I’ll miss it very much this year. But I plan on being there next year, ready to spend five days on the road, for two days at the fair. I can’t wait.

If you’re interested in purchasing a print, I have hundreds all ready to ship. Send me an email and let me know what you’re interested in. I may not be able to meet you face to face this year, but I’d be glad to help you find the perfect picture for your walls.

Have a good summer.