Penrod Arts Fair

First time attending this year and some things I think are worth noting to the planners for future events: - where was the diversity in the artists? I feel like a saw a total of 3 or 4 artists of color. Really disappointed in that. With Butter just a week ago, I think we can all agree there are plenty out there. - where were the free water stations? You're putting people in an outdoor venue on hot summer day and no free refillable water stations? Cmon, it's 2022 lol - more shaded seating would have been nice too! Now that the tips are outta the way, this was a super fun event and I will def be back in the future. The art was mostly too pricy for me but then again, I'm not an art dealer that can afford $$$$ on art. I loved the variety of jewelry, glassware, paintings, photography, and more.

Love, love, love. Beautiful day, beautiful background, wonderful food, great entertainment. Truly "Indiana's nicest day." Look forward to this each year. I don't usually buying much art but I do enjoy looking and they do a good job of bringing in a variety of talent. Already excited for next year.

This is Indiana's nicest day organized by a classy organization for great causes with lots of world class artists, art, and local organizations.Check out the Friday night event if you get a chance.

It had been awhile since I attended Penrod, so I was determined to make it this year. (I had a ticket last year, but the downpour of rain dissuaded me from going.) I remembered that parking at the actual Newfields site was both limited and expensive, so I grabbed a spot just before lunch over at the Cycloplex (Velodrome) and take the free shuttle.Note: Unless you plan on buying something big, taking the shuttles is a fast and easy way to avoid the traffic headaches and save a bit more money that you can use for food and art at the event.Check-in was easy and quick and soon I was wandering the grounds which are divided into color stations with food vendors at each one. Live performances were far enough apart that I could hear each clearly without competing music interfering. I particularly enjoyed the singing of Sy Smith whose voice was skillfully woven through the nearly Autumn day with the occasional whistle voice demanding me attention. Wow!The grounds are covered with white tents housing artists from around the country. One of the first large shared tents I entered was for the Stutz artists. All kinds of art was there. I thought it was cool that one of the Stutz vehicles was there for visitors to see as well.Also note that food lines form early and seemed to take awhile to get through. The ones I stopped at were taking 15-20 minutes to place your order, so choose wisely. The lines can block some of the walking paths, so be sure to bring your best manners to facilitate getting through.And the art was really good. I saw piece after piece that caught my attention. Problem is that I've downsized my home twice now, and I can't imagine where I would hang the pieces. Even table top space is limited at my place now, so I am not the ideal customer. But I still enjoy looking at the art.I will say that moving around the campus is a lot easier than at Talbott Street's Art Fair. And though I have seen some folks complain about prices, that doesn't seem to affect the crowd since there were thousands of folks wandering around.I can't see much that I would improve about the day, but if you are going with making a purchase in mind, the process of picking up your purchase with your vehicle or having to make plans for your purchase to be shipped is a bit discouraging for me from buying. Review #2990

I finally made it to this long running, one day art fair. It was a beautiful day on the glorious grounds of Newfields (aka IMA aka Indianapolis Museum of Art). There was so much to see, artist's booths, entertainment, food trucks, wineries, & kids activities. I'm really glad we went. It was an enjoyable day. Since I'd never been before, I didn't really have any expectations, but once I made my way through a couple of sections I felt like I was seeing more of the same stuff. There were a handful of booths showing stuff that wowed me but for the most part the majority seemed pretty run of the mill or mainstream. I didn't feel like I was seeing a lot of things I'd never seen before. The majority of the prices I looked at were pretty steep (not that art should not be expensive or is not worth it), it would have been nice to see more of a range. I don't know what the entry process is, if just anyone can rent a booth or if it is cost prohibitive to artists who don't charge a lot or if one must apply & be accepted. The first area we went to is where we ate. There were no tables or chairs set up around the food trucks. We did find some around the liquor tent, in full sun. Later, we were looking for a place to sit & walked by a grassy shaded area full of unassembled tables & folded up chairs, like they just didn't get around to putting them up. That seemed to be a common occurrence during the day. Also, it was not clear to us from the beginning that we needed to go park at the fairgrounds & take a bus to the event. We wasted about an hour figuring that out. At least if we go back, we'll be better prepared.

Indy's nicest day? All I know is that it's definitely in *my* top 5 favorite days of the year!I have been attending Penrod for as long as I can remember and eagerly look forward to it every year. It was a tradition established in my childhood and I fondly carry it forward as an adult -- even introducing my husband to it a few years back. With that said, there is some comforting nostalgia in seeing favorite returning artists and watching their work evolve with each passing year. It is also fun to see the new offerings and to be able to enjoy newer attractions like the beer garden. I also love that they have all different types of food available -- and our lunch from ScratchTruck was amazing! The range of artistic offerings is just so cool -- clothing to paintings to metal works to wood working to photography to jewelry...and everything in between. This is the festival that a lot of people bring their yearly/savings/art budget to, so there are some big spenders in attendance every year ready to make that big purchase that I can only drool over. We never miss a booth and have established a path to travel to make sure we experience every vendor, every booth, and every music and dance act. I love that the artists are approachable and so willing to talk about their pieces and inspiration with you. Just a few of our favorites this year were amazing whimsy paintings by Hoosier Gabriel Lehman and photography on metal by Gary Love (from CA). We also love to check in to see what Joe Vondersaar, Robert Wallis (photography), and Cherie Haney (metal sculpture) have been up to each year. Please note that not all artists will let you take pictures of their work, so ask before doing so to respect their intellectual property.Side note -- GO TO THE GREENHOUSE! The Orchids housed there are absolutely breathtaking. I cannot WAIT to get back there and actually purchase some of the cool plants they have growing there!Being a member of the IMA is a little bit of splurge, but it is totally worth it if you plan to attend any events or special exhibits at the IMA during the year. Renew or get a membership on the day of Penrod and get some special perks - including discounts on merch and free tickets to Penrod. Heck, Penrod tickets went up to $20 bucks this year, so it was only a little bit more for us to just join and enjoy the IMA for the upcoming year. My only sad trombone mentions for Penrod are that I wish it were a little longer (only from 9a-5p currently), as it always falls on the same day as the French Market and other festivals. I also wish tickets were still $10 in advance, as we end up spending a ton of money on parking, food, and art stuffs anyway. Oh well. It's not like we won't come next year. :)

I wish I could rate this event higher, but lack of any sort of covid protocol really made the experience stressful. Also, even though there was security they weren't actually paying attention as people were going through the scanners. The artisans were wonderful and I got a cool purse, but overall the organizers could've done a better job.

It truly is Indiana's Nicest Day. Pair it with the Greek Fest and French Market Festival and you've got one helluva Saturday afternoon. The Penrod is a beautiful mixture of gorgeous frat boys organizing and staffing the event and well-to-do elderly women attending. And of course, there is a sprinkling of other demographics in attendance. This event beautifully takes over the grounds of the IMA. Every nook and cranny is filled with some of the best artists around. To top off the great art scene, Penrod has delicious food options like Indian, Avec Moi and kettle corn. Excellent addition to the event this year: a beer garden with Flat 12, Upland and Thr3e Wise Men Brewery. My only complaint about the event is that the price is a wee bit salty for the young, creative crowd.

We have been going to this event for probably 15 or more years. This year was less than spectacular. To start off with the online site said that we could park at a church facility, we have parked at this church before. When we got there, there were plenty of signs that said Penrod parking, but there was somebody posted at the entrance that said there was no parking there that it was at Lafayette Square, Mall. He said he had been told many times that that is not what it said online when we stated that that's not what it said online! After the ride there, once we arrived at the facility, it was not clearly marked where we should go to get into the grounds. Again this was different than in previous years. There were no paper programs which people of a certain demographic group like more than having it on your phone. I might add there were a lot of these people there from this certain demographic group. Since the facilitator of this event has taken over a few years ago, it has never been as good as it was. Pretty disappointed since it changed hands same thing happened to the broad ripple, art fair. They both have gone downhill. Also, on a morning that was a little cooler than usual. The first place I went to which was a coffee house had no coffee the second place I went to said they had hot coffee, but I must've gotten the end of the batch. In fact I know I did and it was lukewarm coffee. I think we are going to skip this event for several years before we try it again and hope it's gotten better.

I love this event. My favorite activity are the jazz tent and Dance Kalieioscope. I always walk around and look at the juried art. Occasionally I find a piece of handmade jewelry that appeals to me.