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WE SAW YOU: RiverArtsFest

Around 165 artists markets were featured at this year’s event.

Danny Barlow recently attended his first RiverArtsFest, which was held October 19th and 20th on Riverside Drive.

“We kind of stumbled on it,” says Barlow, who attended with Kendra Hall. “We were Downtown doing a picnic and were looking for food.”

He was impressed with a man out of California who made watches. “I want to get connected with him. I want to get a couple of watches made.”

Around 165 artists markets were featured at this year’s event, which marked the 18th anniversary of RiverArtsFest, says founder and longtime board member Chuck Mitchell.

He had great feedback from the artists. “All of them are thrilled with their experience here,” Mitchell says. “Hopefully, they sell a lot of artwork, but they’re always happy with how we treat them, load them in, and provide lunch for them in our hospitality tent.”

And, he says, “We’re really trying to make it great for the artists to share a great experience in Memphis. And all love being in Memphis and being Downtown.”

Artists also head to Beale Street “and other areas after the festival closes each day.”

By Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue began his career in 1975 at the now-defunct Memphis Press-Scimitar and moved to The Commercial Appeal in 1984, where he wrote about food and dining, music, and covered social events until early 2017, when he joined Contemporary Media.