Many stopped to check out the sculptures created by Jim Babala, including the fish going after a dragon fly with another dragon fly and a colorful fish already in his belly.

Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — The 2023 Art Festival at the Village at Winona is winding down for the 2023 year. This year’s festival ends at 4 p.m.

There were approximately 69 vendors participating in the festival and the weather hasn’t kept people away. A large turn out was reported on Saturday despite the hot, humid temperatures, which were cooled off with an isolated afternoon rain.

Eli Borowski studies what he found in some water fun at the Kids Activity tent.

The crowds began to gather Sunday during the noon hour, where many ordered from one of the food vendors set up along the canal. Many took advantage of the picnic tables, while others enjoyed their food wondering around the vendors.

This year saw a lot of mixed media art work, drawings, hand crafted jewelry, paintings covering various topics, photography, glass, sculptures, wood creations, printmaking, metal work, pottery and fiber art.

You could find pottery mugs and piggy banks, necklaces, rings, bracelets, photographs of underwater scenes or landscape, landscape paintings, classic scene paintings, metal sculptures of all sizes and designs, 3-D art, thunder gourds, wooden games and various wood creations from carvings to vases, and many other creations.

Throughout the festival live music was provided by Scott Workman, Wally Brath Jazz Trio, Winona Acoustic Society, Ivory Moss, Joe Justice and Marc Vosler all under the shade of the Music Pavilion in the heart of the festival.

For those with youngsters a tent specifically for creative activities were available, in addition to water and coffee and plenty of places to sit and relax. Lakeland Art Association provided activities on Saturday and Spoonful of Imagination offered creative opportunities on Sunday.