Butchertown Art Fair

Branden
1 year ago

Outstanding diverse comfortable and inviting. What more can you ask for. A great event featuring some original artwork from local and talented artist.
If you are looking for an original this is the place.
Crowds can grow as the day gets longer so I'll recommend an early arrival.
A variety of food and drink are available, a very good selection I might add. Love the neighborhood and totally enjoy visiting here yearly.
You'll have to pay to park if you aren't sure of the roads that lead to the venue.
Looking for your car in the dark on a road you can't remember parking on is a real buzz kill. Been there done that!
Take some time to visit a true Louisville tradition, i bet you return!

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Zachery
1 year ago

Small but nice. They have a wide variety of art to choose from. I was bummed though because I had hopes the jeweler that was there last year would be back. He wasn't. We ended up with a spooky painting of a local mansion and some English Toffee kettle corn. I expect that this art fair will continue to grow in the coming years.

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Antoine
1 year ago

This is my second year to attend this art fair and I will make it an annual visit. Although small only about 2 blocks it has quality artists and their wares. There is a true mix of artist mediums. There are plenty food options from food trucks and live music. Additionally there is plenty of seating along the 2 blocks if you want to sit and rest and people/dog watch. Yes it is dog friendly and there were plenty of pooches in attendance. Plenty of street parking within a couple of blocks of the festival. A plus is getting to look at the lovely old homes that line the street as you puruse the art. Fun outing. I highly recommend. And I found a great piece of wood art for my newly renovated bathroom

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Sterling
1 year ago

My family has attended the Butchertown Art Fair since it started and it holds a soft place in my heart those early years. Most booths showcased an artist that wasn't a business but instead just loved making things. Everyone was so friendly and I remember my oldest son talking to all the artists, learning how they made their work.

It's become much bigger now but is still a smaller art fair worth the visit. Now two full days it brings food trucks, beer tents, ice cream and music to the event along with its artist booths. They also scatter tables along the street and near the music. A few people brought their dogs and several groups of people were standing around catching up with each other.

This art fair doesn't host children's activities – another reason I always liked it! It's nice to avoid dealing with a kid whining about a damn bouncy.

Make a day of it by eating at Naive or Butchertown Pizza Hall, shop at Work the Metal or grab a treat at Hi Five Doughnuts or Red Hot Roasters.

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Serena
2 years ago

Louisville has a lot of amazing artists. And once spring and summer hits, there are so many places and fairs to check them out at, the Butchertown Art Fair being one of them. I was already in NuLu for the Flea Off Market, and this was well within walking distance. It's a medium size art fair and there was a good array of kinds of art, bigger than last year. You could buy a drink or something from one of the food trucks and peruse the art.

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Genevieve
2 years ago

Our world is big. As such, it's tempting to take the easy way out and shop at big box stores when looking for art and home d茅cor items. If you do this, however, you run the risk of missing out on all the talented local artists and artisans in Louisville (and the surrounding areas), and that would be a shame. The Butchertown Art Fair is a beautiful showcase of these individuals and their crafts. Metal work, wood work, fabrics, paintings, laser art – it's all here, in all price ranges.

As an added perk, there are tasty local food vendors, drinks, and live music. Pretty much a great way to spend the weekend.

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Brittney
3 years ago

Once upon a time I went house shopping and found the perfect house in Schnitzelburg. A perfect house it was but a perfect house with the wrong person it was too. My point being had I known then what I know now about Butchertown, I might've considered a home in the Butchertown/Irish Hill area. I love what Butchertown is becoming. I love how it was booming before the great flood. I love how almost 100 years later it's rising from the ashes again.

With all the love I have for Butchertown, this particular art fair could be better. This art fair is about to hit the 10-year mark and I had barely heard of it until just this past year. I think the community put more signs everywhere. Since there has been a recent surge in new businesses and the renewal of old businesses in the area, I think that also might've contributed to the awareness.

The art portion of this fair consists of one tiny street. It took us all of maybe 10-15 minutes to stride down and back. Some of the stands were more elaborate than others. Others were smaller and advertising some local business(Example: Edison House downtown). I didn't even know Edison was ever here and I plan to visit that place at some point.

There are two other smaller streets that branch off of the main street but they're filled with food trucks. It was great that this fair happened during a Flea Off Market weekend. I'm sure that attracts more traffic for them. I hate to say anything terrible about this fair because I'm glad it exists. It just seems odd that after almost 10 years, the size didn't seem like a 10 year fair. I don't know… maybe it was just me. Maybe it was a down year?

I did appreciate the vendors that I did see along the street. I saw plenty of vendors that I've never seen at the Flea, Cherokee Triangle or St. James. That part was refreshing. Maybe that's my issue. I enjoyed what little I did experience there that it made me crave more of it. In future years, I'm not sure if I'll go back. If there's not anything else going on in the city I likely will. It's just not a fair that I'd clear my schedule for like other local events.

Side Notes:
— Plenty of parking surrounds the area.
— More shaded than other events around town.
— It's on a beautiful street.
— This fair is in the late Spring/Early Summer. I know St. James gets a lot of praise around here but this fair would fit right in during the Autumn months.

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Omar
3 years ago

2017 was apparently the fair's eighth or ninth year. It is still a rather small festival. A couple blocks long.
I like where it is located, the homes are lovely to look at and it is situated where there is ample parking fairly close by.
There were some lovely and interesting things to see. Many things I have seen before at the Flea Off Market or the St James Art Fair or the Cherokee Triangle Art Fair….or or or…
It is a nice addition to the abundance of art fairs Louisville is host to.
I don't think I would have gone if it had just been up to me. But we did a quick walk through, I got a lightbulb cookie from the Thomas Edison House, so you know….I'm not mad at it.

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Stephen
3 years ago

There are so many great art fairs in Louisville and this one is worth checking out. This is a medium sized event, about the same size as Springfest in Old Louisville.
The vendors were incredibly well curated. There was very little repetition and the variety was incredible. I appreciated seeing actual hand made art rather than the booths full of direct sales items (Avon/Lularoe/etc) and cheap imported jewelry that have infiltrated other art fairs. I bought some beautiful pottery and a friend bought handmade soap for her kids.
The food and beverage selection was also top notch. Copper and Kings was making mixed drinks using Butchertown Soda. There was a strong showing of food trucks. It was a hot day so Steel City Pops won us over.
If you didn't make it this year mark your calendar for 2018.

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Lawrence
3 years ago

The Butchertown Art Fair is a must see/ do during the summer and if you missed out don't fret you can come back next year. Make sure to mark your calendar, if you did miss this years fair you missed out. There had to be at least 30+ booth standing from a variety of art, bonsai trees, and abundance of hand carved wooden furniture. A smorgasbord of different food selections and drinks from Copper and Kings. It was a hot one, albeit throughout the fair there are plenty of shady spots to stop and take a rest.

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Cecilia
3 years ago

This is one of our fav little festivals we try to attend every year , great artists , quaint part of town that for the most part is shaded , great for the heat this time of year !!! Keep up the good work and great exhibits and we will b back

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Marco
3 years ago

A nice street fair in a district close to the river, downtown and east market area; on Washington street between the 700 and 800 blocks.

Visiting from Indy the closest I can compare this too is the Talbot Street Art Fair but about half the size.
Partially shaded street with massive brick town homes, the neighborhood is pleasant and the residents care quite a bit for their area.
While walking the booths I enjoyed a true jug band howling out some tunes, it was later followed by a blues band located at the crossroads where the food trucks and tents were. Beer is also available, you must go to the beer ticket tent and purchase $5 tickets for each beer. A nice truck of a Lexington brewer's libations were available.

The content of the artists areas were comparable to most street fairs, lots of jewelry, specialty wood working and furniture, some canvas work and a few photographers. A nice representation of community activities as well, HIV awareness and prevention, Louisville city arts, humane society, hospice services for people and pets. There was a large focus on building and continued support of the community.

I've been there twice so far and plan to make it an annual visit.

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Gavin
3 years ago

I love this small art fair. The sun was blistering hot, but with the shade from the canopy of trees it made for a lovely afternoon. High quality items, unusual artwork and many hand made furniture pieces. It's a nice casual atmosphere, strolling past the many tents stopping to talk with the artists and enjoying the conversations are part of the Fair. Its not horrendously large like some of the other Art Shows where the crowds can be overwhelming. Looking for something to do? Take a walk, drive or bike trip to the Butchertown Art Fair. Of course, if you're like me, I'm kicking myself for not purchasing a metal yard piece that I saw. Oh well, sigh.

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Christina
3 years ago

Sweet sweet Louisville. Small but lovely. Come enjoy good food good music and local friendliness

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Christen
4 years ago

Great art show! Small, but high quality art & art I haven't seen before. I will definitely return to this art show next year.

BRG food truck offered excellent burgers & fries & even a veggie one made with a mushroom. My mushroom burger was delicious. Kimberle & Al said their beef burgers were excellent. I didn't have the Gourmet hot dog, but photographed one. It looked gooood.

West 6 had three of their beers on tap. There were wine offerings & Ginger Beer. I believe these were brought by Copper & Kings. Louisville Tap had a booth with free cold water with cups or you could refill your own bottle for free. Thank you Louisville Tap.

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Lindsey
5 years ago

I really liked this art fair! I wish I would have gone earlier in the day but my Saturday was packed FULL to the brim. I loved many of the booths and they had some truly uniuqe ones! I wish I would have had more time to look around too. I will definitely go back next year and spend a lot more time mozying (sp?) around and looking at more of the items. Loved that Shaffly beer was there and they had a whole food truck area too!

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Edward
5 years ago

Well I had a blast at this year's Butchertown Art Fair.

* Ate at a food truck that I've never seen before.
* Saw the biggest dog I've ever seen. (What is that dog's bowel movements like? I shudder to think.)
* Discovered the Louisville Stompers Jazz Band.
* Got some inspiration (and contacts) for art to put in my home.

All in all, it's a small art fair. Cherokee Triangle and St James are much larger. But larger doesn't always = better. Butchertown is very cool. You can walk through it in 30 minutes. But if you slowly walk though, stopping at every booth along the way, you'll spend over an hour. Just the right size, really. Not overwhelming.

As well, they have live music for you to listen to, a beer tent… It's a great place to spend an afternoon. Or, if you're actually looking to buy, head on down.

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Jeannette
5 years ago

One of the best, neighborhood art fairs in Louisville! Eclectic mix of vendors, non-profit groups, and food vendors provide plenty to see, buy, and eat over the course of an afternoon.

Despite the heat and constant sun today, visitors leisurely strolled down the Washington Street. There was plenty of room to stop and catch up with friends met along the way or check out the booths (& actually see things).

Unlike Cherokee or St. James, where the crowds can be oppressive and prices are sometimes prohibitive, Butchertown is like the relaxed, younger sibling. Vendors that can't afford these big shows come out with fantastic, affordable finds.

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