The Art & Apples Festival Returns September 10-12 in Rochester

The celebrated event that closes out summer in Michigan – the Art & Apples Festival®, produced by Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA) – returns this year to Rochester Municipal Park on its traditional “weekend after Labor Day” dates, Friday through Sunday, Sept 10-12, 2021.

The festival is open from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The event, PCCA’s largest fundraiser, is a nationally acclaimed art festival attracting tens of thousands of guests and hundreds of artists to Rochester. The festival is a culinary delight and includes diverse, family-friendly entertainment such as continuous glassblowing and pottery-making demonstrations, live music, and dance, and much more. Held on the tree-filled, rolling green 30 acres of Rochester Municipal Park (400 Sixth St.), Art & Apples is one of the nation’s top juried fine art fairs. This year, more than 200 exhibiting artists from across the country — in 18 unique mediums — were selected by a jury to display their works.

“After last year’s cancellation, there is a huge appetite for art festivals this year that seems to grow every day. Paint Creek Center For The Arts is thrilled to bring back the Art & Apples Festival®,” PCCA Executive Director Elizabeth Chilton said. “The absolute joy of viewing art in person and meeting the creators of each piece as you stroll the beautiful park grounds is a tradition we all dearly missed last year. This year, we invite everyone back to create new lasting memories as they explore fabulous art, enjoy art-making demonstrations and activities, and experience a wide range of food and music.”

Of the thousands of art festivals that typically take place throughout the U.S. every year, the Art & Apples Festival was ranked in the top 10 art festivals in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine in both 2018 and 2019.

Presenting sponsor for this year’s festival is once again Genisys Credit Union.

“The PCCA Art & Apples Festival is the heart and soul of the area’s vibrant creative community and is treasured as a summer send-off tradition,” said Jackie Buchanan, President, and CEO, Genisys Credit Union. “Genisys Credit Union takes great pride in embracing the apple of the community’s eye. Art enhances lives, which is why we value the partnership with PCCA and the Art & Apples Festival.”

The Art & Apples Festival hosts the top established and emerging artists offering their wares in a variety of categories. Artists will showcase woodwork, sculptures, illustrations, metalwork, jewelry, paintings, photography, ceramics, glasswork, mixed media, digital art, leather, and much more.

Admission is free, but PCCA requests a $5 per person tax-deductible donation. Donations support Paint Creek Center for the Arts’ ability to work year-round promoting the arts in the region including art exhibitions, an art market, outreach programs, and more than 300 classes, workshops, and camp sessions every year. Donations also go to other local nonprofit groups, including Macomb Humane Society, Music Shapes, Meadow Brook Theatre Guild, and Neighborhood House.

“The festival generates millions of dollars for the region and we are extraordinarily proud of its positive, lasting economic impact on the greater community,” Chilton said.

In addition to the presenting sponsor Genisys Credit Union, the Art & Apples Festival is also supported by Meijer, Ascension Providence Rochester, Oakland County Parks, and many more.

This year's event will include more space between artist booths to allow for greater physical distancing, as well as additional measures to ensure the safety of the artists, patrons, staff, and everyone involved.

Friday’s performers on the DTE Foundation Main Stage include the Stoney Creek High School marching band, Motor City Irish Dance Company, and a performance from jazz singer Sheila Landis.

Saturday is packed with performances, including Rochester Adams High School Marching Band, Second Street Studio of Dance, South Street Dixie Band, Detroit Flute Guild 2.0, Next Level Dance Center, classic rock from the band 3rd Degree Burns, Hubbell Street Jazz, and wrapping up the night with Motown sounds from Denise Davis & The Motor City Sensations.

The performance schedule on Sunday includes Rochester High School Marching Band, performers from Deborah’s Stage Door Center for the Performing Arts, the Swing Shift Orchestra, country music from the Bob Marshall Band, and electronic indie-pop band The Dropout closing out the schedule.

“With performances and entertainment covering a wide variety of genres and talents, there is something for everyone to enjoy at the Art & Apples Festival this year,” PCCA Executive Director Elizabeth Chilton said. “We’re excited to have the DTE Foundation supporting so many great performers here in Rochester to entertain our attendees as they enjoy the amazing art and food offerings at our festival.”

ABOUT PAINT CREEK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Art & Apples Festival is a program of Paint Creek Center for the Arts (PCCA), a regional nonprofit art center located in Downtown Rochester. PCCA is supported, in part, by contributions from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Art & Apples Festival was first presented by a group of volunteer artists in 1965. The group created PCCA in 1983 to take over the festival management and provide additional arts programming throughout the year. Since then, PCCA has continued to produce the event annually. The festival aligns with PCCA’s overall mission to support creativity by providing opportunities for all to learn, create, experience, and appreciate the arts.