September 14, 2026
For Immediate Release:
Bel Air Festival for the Arts
Bel Air Recreation Committee
The Bel Air Recreation Committee hosted the 59th Bel Air Festival for the Arts on Sunday, September 13, 2026. After early morning rain, over 300 artists, photographers, authors and craftsmen from across the United States exhibited and sold their original photography, fine art, books and handmade crafts to an estimated 9,000 visitors on the Festival Site at Shamrock Park, in Bel Air, MD.
The Bel Air Festival for the Arts is a judged competition with prizes for the best artists in the Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Photography and Mixed Media Categories. First prize winners of this year's judged contest included Liz Stehr of Nottingham, MD for the Oil/Acrylic Category, Nelia Cheney of Fallston, MD for the Watercolor Category, Brent Mantooth of Bel Air, MD for the Photography Category and Dona Antonelli of Quarryville, PA for the Mixed Media Category. Category winners receive cash prizes for their works.
As the weather improved, the Festival visitors were greeting by live performers on the William A. Humbert Amphitheater featuring the Jules Riser Band, The Memphis Sons, Close Call, The Juke and Jamnation. These performances were enabled by a grant from the Harford County Cultural Arts Board.
The Bel Air Festival for the Arts is enabled through generous donations of time, energy and financial support from the Bel Air Recreation Committee and its volunteers, the Town of Bel Air, the Harford County Parks and Recreation and Economic Development Departments, the Harford County Cultural Arts Board and the Maryland State Arts Council.
The Bel Air Lions Club and the student athletes from the Bel Air High School Girls Cross Country and Volleyball teams provided exceptional support assisting exhibitors with the hard work of unloading, assembling, disassembling and packing the art, photography and craft exhibits. Site Security was provided by the Bel Air High School Wrestling Team Coaches while onsite EMS support was provided by the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.
Other partners include Hello Harford County, the Bel Air Arts and Entertainment District, the Maryland Center for the Arts, A Marvelous Spark Creative Studio, Har-co Federal Credit Union, Party Palace, JDT Transportation, Hall's Septic Services, Alpha Graphics and Ronnie's Beverage Warehouse.
We hope to see you Sunday, September 12, 2027 when we will host the 60th Bel Air Festival for the Arts. Watch our website at www.belairartsfestival.org for more details.
John Resta, Bel Air Recreation Committee Board of Directors, Program Director Bel Air Festival for the Arts
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