The annual Custer Fair in Evanston came together over Father’s Day weekend, showcasing the work of over 300 local and regional artists, craftspeople and vendors in a street celebration of art, entertainment and international food.
The fair offered two days of entertainment – Saturday and Sunday – on three stages and was highlighted by the exhibit and sale of paintings, ceramics, pottery, photographs, jewelry, graphic arts, wearable art, country and home craft, antiques and collectables, all offered along the historic Main Street shopping district.
Custer Fair Director Tammy Szostek said all new this year was the addition of a third stage and the fair’s expansion into the ECO Village parking lot on Main Street next to retailer Ten Thousand Villages.
“We’ve tried really hard to keep the original charm of the fair,” Szostek said, “but we’ve also wanted to mix things up a bit in order to serve a broader audience.”
Custer Fair is a program of Piccolo Theatre Inc. which, according to Szostek, is their most important annual fundraiser.
According to its website, nonprofit Piccolo Theatre “makes the commitment to provide comedy programming all year every year.”
With this year’s collective fundraising goal of $300,000, Szostek says that sum would be enough to keep the theater running all year long.
“We’ve solicited feedback from the community about the fair, listened to their concerns, complaints and praise, because inevitably we want people to have a say,” Szostek said.
The weekend festival featured a diverse array of performances ranging from Chicago Jazz Legends to a Tibetan Dance Troop to Shout Section Big Band Brass to Evanston’s School of Rock.
Most of the 30 food vendors were also new, Szostek said.
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Arona Boron of Northbrook attended the fair with her husband and said they have attended Custer Fair in past years, “we love the eclectic diversity and style of this Evanston festival. The suburban urban mix is really a pull for us.” Boron said.
