“Red Sky” by artist Jan Drake, a painter in watercolor, pastel, and charcoal. Drake is just one of the many artists and fine crafters who will be attending Reinbeck’s annual Art Festival set for Saturday, Sept. 16. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARION BOYER

REINBECK – The Reinbeck Art Festival and Car Show is fast approaching. The date is Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Reinbeck. Bring a carload of family and friends to enjoy hours of fun for adults and children.

You’ll find artists and fine crafters in City Hall, 414 Main Street, on Main Street, and in Tranquility on Main, 403 Main Street. The Car Show includes motorcycles, cars, pickups and tractors. These will be parked on Broad Street for your viewing enjoyment. The Northeast Iowa Glampers will be on East Main. These glamorized vintage campers are fun to see. The Quilt Show, of new and vintage quilts, will be on display in the UCC Church at 504 Broad Street. There will be a Student Art Exhibit in the CEC at 504 Clark Street. The students are anxious to show their talents to friends, family, and everyone else! Across the street from the CEC is the Reinbeck Public Library at 501 Clark Street Where there will be fun art activities for the children. North of the Library, in the bank’s parking there will be vehicles for a Touch-A-Truck experience. Movement, Fitness, and Dance will be performing throughout the day on Main Street.

This year we have several working exhibits for your fun and perhaps fascinating learning experiences. Andy Mills, known as Uncle Stinky, will be sharing his blacksmithing skills. Brett Evans will demonstrate the process of working from and lump of clay to a wheel thrown pot. Ladies from the Northeast Iowa Weavers group will have “hands on” weaving experiences to share. There will be two flower arranging demos: one at 10 a.m. with Holly Robertson and one at 1 p.m. with Staci Freese. Nancy Barsic, a gifted paper cutter, will be doing silhouettes for no cost.

Our Music on Main, sponsored by the Lions Club and the American Legion Auxiliary, will be toe tapping and worth bringing your chair for your listening pleasure. Kirk Eastman, sponsored by the Lions, will perform from 9 a.m. to noon, Phil and Travis, sponsored in part by the American Legion Auxiliary, will be on stage from noon to 2 p.m., and Hideaway Honey, sponsored by the Lions Club, featuring Birdy Young will entertain the festival patrons from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.

The Artists and Fine Crafters will be on Main and in City Hall. Those in City Hall are Bill Haywood, an artist with wood, Ginny Poppen, an oil painter, David Norman, an artist building with wood, Jan Drake, a painter in watercolor, pastel, and charcoal, Jan Bernhard, an artist with oils, pastels, and watercolor, Bonnie Smith expresses her talent with acrylics, Mike Stevens, will have his creative wooden pieces for sale, Vicki Zenk and Angie Wiebansto, bring their handmade signs and windows to the festival, and Barb Grabil, will have her unique bags, pillows, and hats.

Those artists and fine crafters on Main Street are Bob Hertges with his hand thrown pottery, Talented Bruce Gordan returns with his colored pencil pieces, Christie Bolin is new to us this year with her clothing, hats, bags and more through custom ordering, Andy Mills will have his metal art for sale or create requests, Jim Ellenberger will have his handmade wooden art for sale, Kathy Fehr will have her fiber art in many forms, Kathy Etringer will have fused glass pieces and rock art to buy at the festival or accept special requests, Lisa Gonzales and Anne Bachman will have hand created apparel, jewelry, and accessories, Kay Marguard will have paintings, bags, and more, Sue Cunningham is returning with her fiber weavings (she will be a few spaces closer to the music than her usual location, Deb Ansley will return with her handmade soaps, Tom Kasel will have bowls, flowers, boots and more that he created from wood, Julie Hughes will have abstract landscape paintings done with acrylics and mixed media, Terry Dirks will be on Main with his wood art in a variety of birds, animals, clocks and more, Marion Boyer will have a tent on Main with watercolors, acrylics and more as well as in Tranquility on Main at 403 Main Street, Angie Buffington will be popping her delicious kettle corn.

Main Street Merchants will be open with food, drinks, and merchandise. There’s food from morning treats and coffee to an ice cream shoppe, authentic Mexican, tenderloins, creative popcorn, wine, beer, craft beers, pizza, salads, margaritas, and a deli. If you do some in store shopping, you’ll find antiques and collectibles, hardware, vinyl records, mattresses, gifts galore, children’s books, jewelry, a Farmer’s Market from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., massage gift certificates available, an art gallery, a deli, pizza, and a boutique store.

When you arrive in Reinbeck for the festival, go to the Welcome booth to sign up for “Buy Great Art” and receive a silicone bracelet for free which will remind you of the festivals in the future!