Join the Buck Up Club and Make a Difference!

Your membership enables us to continue our mission in the face of rising costs and lacking governmental support. The Bucktown Arts Fest is a 501c3 organization and your donation is tax deductible.

Some of our favorite neighbors who provide our artists and committee with a delicious Saturday morning breakfast each year!

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP LEVEL:

Buckaroo – $25
get a free gift at the Fest

BuckOwens – $50
get a free poster at the Fest

SwashBuckler – $75
get a free tee at the Fest

Daddy WarBucks – $100
get a free gift, tee and poster at the Fest

A NEIGHBORHOOD TRADITION
The Bucktown Arts Fest is a neighborhood tradition that began in the community, by the community. It was the early 80s when four neighborhood artists (Bob Smeltzer, Joe Kotzman, Tony Cachapero and Rodney Patterson) decided to have an art fair — a picnic in the park. Rodney suggested that it might be a good opportunity for local artists to show and share their work to each other and to their neighbors.

Since 1988, when we became a 501c3 organization, we have grown into an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization that produces one of the city’s – and the country’s – premier arts festivals showcasing close to 200 participating artists, plus countless musicians, dancers, poets & performers and attracting more than 30,000 visitors annually.

Each year, we have three main objectives:

1. To provide participating artists with an excellent venue to share and sell their work at an affordable price. (We currently have one of the lowest entrance fees of any fest in Chicago).
2. To allow the community access to art, theater, music, poetry and dance without a fee.
3. To utilize all of our profits to develop, support and implement arts and education programming at Holstein Park and in the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhoods.

WHAT WE FUND
From painting to mosaics to music, profits from the Fest are used to coordinate and fund the resources that make evening classes, afterschool classes and Saturday workshops possible. Our goal is to provide consistent programming in the Fall, Winter and Spring sessions to encourage community awareness and participation. In the Summer session, we serve Summer Day Camp kids.

Prior arts and educating programming has included Summer Day Camp programming and workshops at Holstein Park, plus support of other organizations events such as the Friends of Holstein Park’s Valentine’s Day Dance, Movie in the Park, Circus in the Park and Apple Pie Contest. Learn more about our programming.