The 58th Crosby Festival of the Arts is set to kick off Friday at the Toledo Botanical Garden — complete with artists new and returning from around the country, a variety of food and drinks, and plenty of live music.

This year, Friday evening of the festival will feature an entertainment tent in the middle of all of the artwork, jazz from the Quick Quartet, and cocktails from Toledo Spirits. Meanwhile, Saturday will feature a family tent in partnership with Toledo School for the Arts full of family-friendly activities, such as make it, take it activities for children and relaxing activities for parents while their children are enjoying the tent. At the end of the festival, winners will be crowned in almost a dozen categories.

“This is a little bit different than a lot of other art and craft shows and festivals around in that it's a juried show, and the artists are really fine artisans,” Yvonne Dubielak, executive director of Toledo GROWs, said. “But also it's a fund-raiser for Toledo GROWs. We’re a community-oriented organization, and we work with community gardens, education, and the building community, so this helps us to continue our work.”

Toledo GROWs, a prominent organization in urban agriculture within the region, coordinates a network of growers across over 120 community gardens. These gardens not only supply nutritious food to local residents, but also enhance the aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods. Toledo GROWs operates a 2½ acre urban farm at 900 Oneida St. in North Toledo where individuals of all ages engage in practical learning and volunteer activities.

Dubielak also emphasized how unique it is for the festival to be held at the botanical garden, which is “just such a beautiful setting.”

“The flowers, the flora, and fauna themselves, are artwork, right? That's all part of the experience there,” she said. “Artists love it. They love to come back to that bedding every year. They love the fact that they're on grass and in the shade and not on hot asphalt.”

Artists like Randy Kuntz wholeheartedly agree. 

Kuntz, who studied for almost two years at the Toledo Area Glass Guild, has been showing off his talents at the Crosby Festival for more than 20 years.

“I do art festivals all over the country, and this is my home festival, and by far it's one of the best represented festivals that I really attend,” Kuntz said. “It's always been well-attended by the public. I think that's the biggest draw for artists like me. The more people they get through the show, the better chance I have of selling my glass or my art. I think that's the key ingredient in getting some of the best artists from around the country.”

The Crosby Festival typically attracts more than 10,000 guests each summer. It is considered to be Ohio’s oldest juried art festival, having begun in 1965.

Another returning artist, painter Aaron Bivins, has been participating in the Crosby Festival for about 30 years, he said.

“I do well at the art fairs, and particularly at Crosby. A lot of people here locally know my artwork, and that I have been doing it for a long time,” Bivins said. “They come and visit me year after year. They adopt a new piece or another piece or an initial piece and take it home with them. I'm kind of tickled about that.”

Like his peers, Bivins feels the atmosphere and venue of the Crosby Festival is one of the things that is behind its staying power as it nears the end of its sixth decade, making it unique and attractive to visitors.

There’s a wide range of mediums of art on display, ranging from painting to sculpting to glass or jewelry, he said.

Bivins fondly recalled the times he’s gotten to do live paintings for customers at the Crosby Festival, which he has really enjoyed.

“I'm very fortunate and blessed that I can sell them right off the easel,” he said, regarding his paintings.

Tickets for the Crosby Festival are $12 if purchased online and $15 if purchased at the gate. Admission is free for children 12 and under.

First Published June 27, 2024, 12:30 p.m.