Chicago’s legendary Old Town Art Fair is thrilled to announce the programming for this year’s landmark 75th Anniversary, including eight new locations added to its popular Garden Walk, an eclectic variety of live music, and interactive entertainment for the entire family to enjoy. This year’s Fair promises to be the largest and most festive in its milestone 75-year history, featuring 230 artists from across the country selected from a record-breaking 700+ artist submissions. Organized by the non-profit Old Town Triangle Association and completely volunteer-run, the Old Town Art Fair will take place, rain or shine, Saturday, June 14, from 10am-7pm, and Sunday, June 15, from 10am-6pm. The Old Town Art Fair main gate is located at the intersection of Lincoln and Wisconsin streets; the Wells Street Art Festival is a separate event.
Chris Nelson, Old Town Art Fair 2025 Chair, says, “The vibrant and inviting programming we create in collaboration with the local community each year has contributed to the Fair’s longevity and legacy over the past 75 years. From exceptional art to strolling Old Town’s historic gardens, there will be something for everyone to discover in this year’s Fair!”
L-R: Live music at the Old Town Art Fair; Bird’s eye view of the Old Town Art Fair; Artist Nathan Murrell at the Old Town Art Fair.
The 75th Anniversary Fair features a dynamic mix of artists working across media, including paintings, sculpture, photography, printmaking, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry, and more, selected by a jury of local art professionals, including gallery owners, museum curators, and artists.
Along with the visual art offerings, the Garden Walk--an attendee-favorite year after year--offers visitors the opportunity to tour 57 gardens this year, including eight new locations, many of which are private and only viewable during the Art Fair. Organizers provide historical information, fun facts, and anecdotes about the homes, architecture, and past and present residents. Known as a “twinned neighborhood” to Montmartre in Paris, France, Old Town’s gardens make the neighborhood a charming and delightful destination for locals and tourists alike.
Highlights of this year’s Garden Walk include:
· 1847 Orleans: The garden that sits in front of the house on 1847 N. Orleans has been designed by the owners to be whimsical so that passersby will smile and for a few minutes forget about the normal day-to-day stresses of life. The coach house, which survived the Great Chicago Fire, has a varied history from providing shelter to horses, to a neighborhood grocery store, to an art studio. It now sits amidst a New Orleans styled courtyard atmosphere with hurricane shutters, gas lanterns, and a beautiful fountain.
· 314/316 Menomonee: Once dubbed "The Tiniest Cathedral in the World,” this centerpiece of the Old Town Triangle features an iconic, award-winning garden. The house originally had a barn with a small stable of horses. The driveway was used to hitch horses to carriages from surrounding carriage houses. Messengers would be dispatched to pick up a horse and carriage for their patrons who lived in wealthy neighborhoods like the Gold Coast.
· 216 Menomonee: The mid-portion of this cottage is believed to be one of the few remaining fire relief cottages built between late 1871 and 1873, just after the Great Chicago Fire. Its white picket fence and lovely garden now cover a darker period in Chicago’s history, when victims of the blaze received $30 of free materials to build a one or two-room house. The Chicago Relief and Aid Society provided around 30,000 people with materials to build such structures.
· 1704 North Crilly Court: This is one of the series of stately Queen Anne style limestone row houses built in mid-1880s by Daniel Crilly and designed by Flanders & Zimmerman, who designed the International Dress & Costume Company building at the 1893 Columbian Exposition.
· St. Michael’s Church: A must-see architectural stop considered the heart of Chicago’s German community. The 1871 Great Chicago Fire destroyed the interior and roof, but the church walls and foundation survived. Ashes were shoveled into the basement and parishioners began rebuilding within a week. Rededicated in 1872, the newly rebuilt church reopened in 1873. This Romanesque church is evidence of the spirit of the early Germans who founded and rebuilt it as well as today’s parishioners who maintain it.
· Midwest Buddhist Temple: An unexpected surprise with Zen gardens that was designed to create a comfortable space in which people may feel relieved of stress and daily concerns, and find rejuvenation of mind, body, and spirit. The garden expresses universal qualities common to all of humanity and the natural world that supports us.
While strolling Old Town’s quaint green spaces and artist booths, visitors can enjoy the pleasant sounds of local singer-songwriters, jazz musicians, and folk bands across two music stages. Highlights include Chicago Blues Hall of Famer Donna Herula; Mike Younger, a rising star from Nashville; and Brad Cole and Friends. Additional performers include Bossa Blue, Chicken Dolphin, Dad Rock, Electric Brew, Fifth Star Band, I Guess So Band, Kendra Chanae Duo, Nikki O’Neill Band, North Park Strummers, Raviv, Reverie Stone, Roseloft, Soulbillys, and zfrank. The full schedule is online at oldtownartfair.org.
The Old Town Art Fair also features a dedicated Children’s Corner featuring interactive activities and crafts for kids. For its 75th Anniversary, Children’s Corner entertainment includes face painting by IIImagine Entertainment, arts and crafts tables organized by the Menomonee Club, and performances:
· Sean Masterson Magic Show: Saturday and Sunday at 12:00PM
· Mary Macaroni & The Impastas: Saturday at 2:00PM
· Stages Chicago (Children's Theater): Saturday at 4:00PM and Sunday at 2:00PM
Annually, the Fair introduces artists to an estimated 30,000 art lovers over the course of the two-day event. Proceeds from the suggested donation of $12 for adults (free for children) go directly back into local schools, arts, and cultural programs in the area, including historic and architectural preservation clubs; the Menomonee Club; and the Old Town Triangle Association.
Established in 1948, the Old Town Art Fair is one of Chicago’s oldest juried art fairs and one of the first fine art fairs of its kind in the country. For more information, please visit oldtownartfair.org or follow along on Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT THE OLD TOWN TRIANGLE ASSOCIATION
The Old Town Triangle Association (OTTA) is a community-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for neighbors in the historic Old Town Triangle District on Chicago’s north side. The OTTA hosts the Old Town Art Fair along with many other neighborhood initiatives and works to maintain the historic, landmarked buildings that make Old Town a unique and wonderful community. The “Triangle Building” at 1763 N. North Park serves as OTTA’s community center, meeting place, and neighborhood resource.