The PAF takes place during Memorial Day weekend and is open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It is filled with stalls of people selling a wide variety of goods. About 1/3 them fall under the "fine art" category (ceramics, painting, photography, etc) while the remaining 2/3 is more of the graphic t-shirts and metal law ornaments variety. Also, the art galleries in the area are open and provide an air conditioned respite from the Oklahoma late May heat.
I admit that I am an art snob (it probably comes from working in an art museum, lol) and there was only one booth of art that I liked. However, I did purchase some cute OKC Thunder t-shirts. There's something for everyone :)
Even though the Paseo Arts District encompasses a small area of OKC, the festival was much bigger than I anticipated. In addition to the vendors, there are two stages with various groups/individuals performing throughout the weekend. While we were visiting there was a magician on one stage and a cover band playing on the other stage.
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| Magician performance |
There are also plenty of food trucks whose offerings are similar to what you find at a state fair (thus my $5 not-so-special strawberry lemonade). The restaurants in the area are predictably crowded. I suggest heading out of the Paseo Arts District for less crowded lunch and/or dinner options. We went to Iron Star Bar-B-Q for dinner which you can read about here.
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| $5 strawberry lemonade |
Also, there is a free shuttle bus that runs from the First Christian Church to the PAF during the festival. It leaves approximately on the hour and half hour. Because the Paseo Arts District is surround by residential neighborhoods, I highly recommend using the shuttle bus. It's a nice charter bus, it's clean, and there is a plethora of parking available at the church.
If you are in the area, the PAF is a fun way to spend an afternoon and check out the local art scene.
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