Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts Opens Music Pier Season

The 2012  will be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 31 and April 1, at the .

The show opens the season at the Music Pier and features the artisans displaying and selling everything from custom jewelry designs, hanging bud vases and original watercolors to garden accessories, wind chimes and floral arrangements.

Stained glass artist Chiara Reading, of Mount Laurel, is the featured crafter. 

The juried event features some of the finest artisans on the East Coast. Over the past five years, these exhibitions have attracted thousands to Ocean City.

Parking at municipal lots near the Music Pier (Ninth Street, Moorlyn Terrace and Eighth Street) is free. A $3 contribution supports local charities (including Ocean City Food Cupboard, Clothing Closet, Gilda's Club for Cancer Survivors, Atlantic City Rescue Mission, American Red Cross and Salvation Army. There is no charge for children under age 12.

For information, call the Jersey Shore Artisans Guild at 800-822-4112.