Bellevue Arts Fair Weekend: Arts, Crafts, Music to Take Over Downtown

Three Bellevue arts events -- the Bellevue Arts Museum ARTSfair, the 6th Street Fair and the Bellevue Festival of Arts -- converge in downtown Bellevue this weekend for blocks of art fun, arts, crafts and music.

More than 300,000 people have attended during the arts weekend, according to the city of Bellevue. The events start Friday July 27 and run through Sunday July 29.

To make way for Bellevue’s arts and crafts fairs coming up the weekend of July 27-29, a few downtown streets will be closed that Thursday evening through Sunday.

Bellevue ARTSfair

Sponsored by the and the Bellevue Arts Museum ARTSfair (www.bellevuearts.org/fair) features 300 juried artists showing and selling drawings/pastels, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal work, mixed media, paint, photo, printmaking, sculpture, wearable art and wood. 

Entrance to BAM ARTSfair is free, and the museum is offering free admission to its galleries and all community programs, including KIDSfair.

The Bellevue ARTSfair includes an Awards Walking Tour, as jurors present ten artists with the Carol Duke Artist Award of Excellence and a $1,000 cash prize on Friday.

Visitors can join the walking tour by meeting at the Main Information booth on West Drive (near booth S-20) at 1:30pm.

Where: Bellevue Arts Museum, 510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 and Bellevue Square, Bellevue Way and NE 8th Street.

Hours: Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The 6th Street Fair 

The Bellevue Downtown Association will host The 6th Street Fair (www.bellevuedowntown.org/events/sixth_street) at the .

More than 140 artists will showcase their sculpture, jewelry, home décor, wood and glass work, fabrics and more. The 6th Street fair includes live music, with jazz, blues and rock musicians performing onstage.

Where: Bellevue Galleria, 550 106th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Bellevue Festival of the Arts

The Bellevue Festival of the Arts (www.Bellevuefest.org) now in its 28th year, will feature the work and crafts of more than 200 artists, craftspeople and musicians in the in the parking lot (10300 NE Eighth St.).

The Bellevue Festival of the Arts is produced by the Craft Cooperative of the Northwest and is organized by artists. The festival donates a portion of its proceeds to local and international charities, including Fare Start, Education at Elevation  and Solar Cookers International.

Where: Cost Plus World Market, 10300 NE 8th St, Bellevue, WA 98004

Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.,  and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Traffic changes

To accommodate visitors:

• 100th Avenue Northeast will be closed southbound from Northeast Eighth Street to Northeast 10^th Street (Thursday, July 26, 6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.; and Sunday, July 29, 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
• Northeast 10th Street will be closed westbound between 108th and 106th avenues. (Thursday, July 26, 5 – 10 p.m.)
• 106th Avenue Northeast will be closed in both directions between Northeast Fourth and  Northeast Sixth streets (Thursday, at 6 p.m. until Sunday, at 11 p.m.).
• Northeast Sixth Street will be closed in both directions from Bellevue Way to 106th Avenue Northeast (6 p.m., Thursday, until 11 p.m., Sunday.)
• 102nd Avenue Northeast will be closed in both directions between Northeast Eighth and Northeast 10th streets (7 a.m., Friday, until 11 p.m., Sunday)

To avoid sitting in traffic and to use alternative modes of transportation, check out http://www.chooseyourwaybellevue.org/  For more details about taking the bus, please visit http://metro.kingcounty.gov and enter your preferred route number in the “Get a Timetable” box. For Sound Transit routes (535, 550 and 560) visit http://soundtransit.org 

Paid parking is also affordable and convenient, with price varying by location, and available in many of Bellevue’s downtown buildings.