The Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival will fill the streets this weekend with artists, music and food.
The annual festival is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday in downtown Coupeville.
A wine reception and juried art gallery kicks off the weekend 7 p.m. Friday at the Coupeville Rec Hall. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
With more than 180 vendors scheduled to attend, event organizers have created a new way for visitors to find their very favorite vendors.
Festival President Mike Dessert said vendors are carefully vetted prior to acceptance.
“We really stress quality, hand-made items,” Dessert said.
“Items have to be hand-crafted by the person selling them.
“It’s a heavily juried process.”
Historically, the arts and crafts festival is held the second week in August, but was moved up a week due to a conflict with the Anacortes Arts and Crafts Festival.
Dessert said he isn’t sure how much moving the date will effect the festival. Coupeville and Anacortes share 65 vendors that normally attend both festivals.
Dessert said there are vendors who attend other events that may or may not conflict with the change.
“We’ll see different vendors this year,” he said.
“It’s kind of a wash.”
There’s a full lineup of entertainment planned over both days. Bayview Sound Quartet, Whidbey Island’s premier Bluegrass/roots band will get things started 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday followed by Brian Butler Blues, a blues guitarist performing 1-2:20 p.m., and Mike Faast and the Fabulous Archtops Rhythm and Jazz will end Saturday, performing from 3-4:30 p.m.
Rhythm and Jazz will also kick things off Sunday, performing 11-12:30 p.m., followed by The Roy Kay Trio from 1-2:30 p.m. and Scott Lindenmuth Group from 3-4:30 p.m. bringing the weekend event to a close.
All entertainment will be located in the municipal parking lot off Alexander Street, behind the public library.
Located near the entertainment stage will be the food court, which will run 9:30 a.m. to closing each day of the festival.
Food vendors will include Whidbey Island locals Coupe’s Last Stand, Front Street Grill, Julie’s Lumpia Hut and others.
