In its 39th year, the East Lansing Art Festival once again set the tempo for the summer season for area merchants and community members.
Although businesses owners reported a lack of customers from the previous years, due to cooler temperatures, they were still pleased with the turnout.
Tula Bell, owner of Bell’s Greek Pizza, 225 M.A.C. Ave., said the festival typically brings in customers that are not familiar with her business, providing visitors to East Lansing a familiar restaurant to return to.
“I think it’s beautiful and I wish we had it every week,” Bell said. “It’s nice for the community and the businesses and the people that come to see it.”
An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 visitors were expected to flood the streets of downtown East Lansing this weekend to check out the festival’s 230 booth artists, free musical performances and downtown attractions.
Since its beginning in 1963, the festival has greatly grown in popularity and now boasts a reputation of being one of the top 100 city art festivals in the country, while increasing income for the city and its businesses.
Festival director Leslie Donaldson, said a marketing survey in 2000 reported the event generated an estimated $1 million for the city, which was divided between local retailers and restaurants.
“It’s very competitive, we had over 600 applicants and only about 230 were accepted,” Donaldson said.
But what is special is the event’s one-of-a-kind character, Donaldson said.
“Over the years the festival has developed into a real community event,” she said. “We have two stages with free performances, a food court and an art activities area - all things that make our festival unique.”
Julie Tawaya, general manager of Woody’s Oasis Grill, 211 E. Grand River Ave., said the festival attracts a cultured crowd to the city that is not only good for businesses of East Lansing but also for the city itself.
“The art festival is very diverse and it brings people that are diverse,” Tawaya said. “We’ve always had a great turnout at our booth and we’ve always done really well during the festival. We really appreciate all the city’s efforts they put into the event and their cooperation with the merchants.”
City councilmember Bill Sharp said the community lawmakers have always considered the festival a large asset to the city’s local merchants, but said he was looking forward to participating in the festival as a concessionaire rather than browsing through the booths.
“I don’t do art festivals, I cook brats. That’s what I’ll be there to do,” said Sharp, who put in his festival time at the local Kiwanis Club’s food tent.
Donaldson said the festival would not be possible without its more than 100 area sponsors or the more than 200 volunteers that help put the festival on every year.
“As a large art event, it’s a great way to promote the arts and a great way for anyone to experience art and music,” she said.
Rocio Cespedes-Patel, owner of Chios, 203 E. Grand River Ave., said the festival is beneficial to local trades simply because of the exposure it brings.
“Because our store is very unique, lots of people who didn’t know about Chios come and see our store and may come back later in the summer or tell friends,” Cespedes-Patal said.
“We need the community to support us or else we’re out the door.”
Erik Syverson can be reached at syverso1@msu.edu.
