Cain Park Arts Festival Opens Friday

One of the most popular events of the year for Cleveland Heights is this weekend.

For more than 30 years, the Cain Park Arts Festival has showcased work from artists from around the country. This year, the festival will feature more than 150 from California, Illinois, New Mexico, Vermont and Georgia, to name a few.

The competition is tough — 300 or 400 artists applied this year, said Susanna Niermann O’Neil, community services director for the city. And in years past, 700 or so have eyed a booth on a path. Applications go up Jan. 1, and each artist must submit five digital pieces.

And a few artists hail from the Heights.

Like Grace Stokes, who won a ribbon her first year at the festival and will sell her jewelry for the fourth time this year.

“I feel really honored to be in a show in my hometown, and I think that the Cleveland Heights area and the Heights area in general is an area where there are people who really appreciate art,” Stokes said. “I’ve done other local festivals, but when you do Cain Park, you get customers who really understand the work.”

Each summer, 30 artists are awarded ribbons, and that group is invited back the following year. They must reapply, but they have a guaranteed in and won’t get turned down by judges. The show is juried by a group of anonymous artists, and directed by George Kozmon.

O’Neil said they want patrons and residents to have a connection to the artists and be able to ask questions about their jewelry, pottery, photography or blown glass.

“One of our stipulations is that the artist must be in the booth, so that if a client or resident has a question about the jewelry or pottery, the person who made it is there,” she said.

Cleveland Heights resident Jean Schnell, who has had her own photography business for 25 years and estimates she’s had a booth in about 10 festivals, said this may be her last summer for shows.

“But if I quit doing art shows, (Cain Park) would be the only one I keep doing,” Schnell said. “It’s kind of like the show of the year that people wait for because it’s great art and great artists … It’s just a really nice, classy art show and the people who run it really do a great job. They really take care of the artists, which is a huge thing.”

Stokes said that there is always a volunteer who works the show nearby to answer a question, and they give artists food and water.

"The people who run the Cain Park festival really know how to run a festival, and know how to treat their artists. I’ve been all over the country, and there’s no comparison,” she said. “It’s great that it’s in my back yard.”

The and open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a $5 admission charge Saturday and Sunday, and it’s open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Kids 12 and under get in free. The full list of artists is posted on the Cain Park website, www.cainpark.com. 

In addition to art booths, O’Neil said they have about eight food vendors with multiple meal options, including vegetarian and vegan.

“We try to stay around the number eight so that we have variety, and they can make money,” she said.

You won’t find elephant ears and corn dogs at this festival.  and Raintree are a few examples of restaurants who sell fare during the event. 

And there’s a something for the kids. Jugglers, magicians and other entertainment at Alma Theater are scheduled throughout the day to keep youngsters occupied.  

O’Neil said she loves to see people who came to the festival as kids and return as adults. Though people come from all over to attend the festival, it’s a tradition for the community. 

“It’s a very peaceful celebration of the arts, and everybody who is there enjoys it.”