The 30th Texas Mesquite & Fine Arts Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, Oct. 13-15, at Marktplatz and will feature top artists who use Texans’ favorite wood.
The 30th Texas Mesquite & Fine Arts Festival will be held Friday through Sunday, Oct. 13-15, at Marktplatz and will feature top artists who use Texans’ favorite wood.
The event is free and open the public.
The fest will take on a new format, adding “fine arts” to reflect the old moniker and new approach, said Chairman Roger Ellison.
“Historically, artists participating were required to have 80% of their art made of Texas’ own ‘exotic’ mesquite,” Ellison said. “Beginning in 2023, the new format features artists from a wide and diverse range of media.”
Ellison said about 40% of the 70 artists exhibiting in 2023 will represent the traditional focus on mesquite, while 60% will include paintings, glass work, wrought iron, jewelry, wood turnings, gourds, leather work, stone work, metal work, photography, ceramics, wire art, woodwork, knife making, sculpture, copper work and more.
Largest ever
The 30th anniversary festival will be the largest in its history with 70 artists. Most artists are from Texas, Ellison said, from as far south as Brownsville, as far west as Sierra Blanca, as far north as Amarillo, as far east as the Houston area.
A jury process is used to select artists for the festival.
The festival will include on-site food and beverage trucks as well as live music.
Schedule
Friday, Oct. 13, noon to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Marktplatz.
Free admission. For more information, contact Chairman Roger Ellison at 325-656-5037, email ShopTexasMesquite@gmail.com or visit ShopTexasMesquite.com.
