Covered Bridge & Arts Festival

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR APPLICANTS INTERESTED IN THE 2024 EVENT:
1. The 2024 Application is NOW AVAILABLE for all returning vendors and prospective new vendors.
2. The application is the same whether you are a returning or new vendor.
3. RETURNING VENDORS: please submit as soon as possible to receive priority consideration.
4. The application window for prospective NEW vendors will remain open until JULY 15.

CRAFT VENDORS:
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE 2024 CRAFTER APPLICATION!

FOOD VENDORS:
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE 2024 FOOD APPLICATION!

PLEASE NOTE: Once submitted, your application will held until it is time to be reviewed for entry. Our application process is now being hosted on Eventeny, a well-known platform for festivals. While you will be asked to input a payment method during the application process, you will not be charged for a booth space unless your application is marked "Accepted" to the festival. Please also be aware that Eventeny charges a 3% service fee, which will be added to your space payment.

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This year's Festival will be held October 3rd - 6th, 2024

Thurs, Fri, & Sat: 9 AM – 5 PM

Sun: 9 AM – 4 PM

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AT THE BLOOMSBURG FAIRGROUNDS!

980 West Main St. Bloomsburg, PA 17815

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Situated in beautiful Central Pennsylvania at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, the 42nd Annual Covered Bridge & Arts Festival will have something for everyone! The Festival is one of the largest craft festivals on the East Coast, and four-day annual attendance is typically near 150,000 visitors.

The Festival Features:
• Hundreds of unique craft & food vendors
• FREE Parking & FREE Admission

Handmade & Traditional Crafts • Turned & Carved Wood • Glass
Prints • Sewn & Woven Textiles • Jewelry • Photography • Paintings • Pottery
Decor for Every Holiday • New & Repurposed Primitives
Plus Much More!

Looking for lodging options in our area for your stay? Click here.

Share Your Festival Photos With Us!

Enjoying your time at the event and want to share your shots with us? We'd love to see them and share them on the festival page! Use the hashtag #iTourColumbiaMontour or #2024CoveredBridgeFestPA

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Festival Vendor Lists

2024 VENDOR LISTS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN LATE SEPTEMBER

-- Craft vendors who attended the 2023 Covered Bridge Festival -- 

View & Download the 2023 Crafter List by LAST NAME

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View & Download the 2023 Crafter List by SPACE #

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View & Download the 2023 Crafter List by BUSINESS NAME

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-- Food vendors who attended the 2023 Covered Bridge Festival -- 

View & Download the 2023 Food Vendor List

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Covered Bridge Festival Map

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Covered Bridge Festival Parking

Parking will take place in the main parking lot of the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. Attendees will be able to access the main parking lot by entering the Fairgrounds from the Main Entrance off Route 11 via Fort McClure Boulevard (Gate 3), or from the town-side parking lot entrance off 5th Street (Gate 6). Both will allow access into the main parking lot.

Regular tram service will run from the parking areas to the festival gate entrance (Gate 3). Gate 3 is the main pedestrian entrance into the Festival this year. However, additional pedestrian entrances will be open from the town side, including Leonard Street, Barton Street, & Gate 8.

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Covered Bridge Festival Fine Artist Section

2023 Schedule of Fine Arts/Crafts Live Demonstrations

- Thursday, October 5 -
10 AM: English Hill Books & Art Gallery, Peter Grimord | Wildlife Illustration; drawing beautiful images with dots

11 AM: Under The Sun Pottery, Mario Rivas | Functional Pottery; how clay is turned into functional items | Hands-on opportunities for observers

12 PM: English Hill Books & Art Gallery, Joan Grimord | Children’s Illustration, drawings for children's books | Coloring sheet for kids

1 PM: Wood Weavings, Wanda Summers | Basket Weaving; how to weave a beautiful basket

2 PM: Alpacas of York, Sheri Smith | Spinning Yarn; the old art of spinning yard on a wheel

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- Friday, October 6 -
10 AM: Country Brooms, John Paul Warren | Fireplace Brooms; making a broom from raw materials | Informative hand-out sheets for attendees

11 AM: Liam's Luck Wood Craft, Liam McCay | Handmade Spurtles; hand-carved utensils for everyday use

12 PM: Wood Weavings, Wanda Summers | Basket Weaving; how to weave a beautiful basket

1 PM: Woodturner, Toby Bouder | Wood Turning on Lathe; turning blocks of wood into natural art

2 PM: Godahavom Gourds, Reagan Bitler | Gourd Art; utilizing gourds to make ornaments

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- Saturday, October 7 -
10 AM: Luschas Lithuanian Egg Art, Christine Luschas| Lithuanian Egg Art, create beautiful hand-scratched eggs | Handout for kids and egg blowing

11 AM: Woodturner, Toby Bouder | Wood Turning on Lathe; turning blocks of wood into natural art

12 PM: Godahavom Gourds, Reagan Bitler | Gourd Art; utilizing gourds to make ornaments

1 PM: Country Brooms, John Paul Warren | Fireplace Brooms; making a broom from raw materials | Informative hand-out sheets for attendees

2 PM: Under The Sun Pottery, Mario Rivas | Functional Pottery; how clay is turned into functional items | Hands-on opportunities for observers

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- Sunday, October 8 -
10 AM: Liam's Luck Wood Craft, Liam McCay | Handmade Spurtles; hand-carved utensils for everyday use

11 AM: Alpacas of York, Sheri Smith | Spinning Yarn; the old art of spinning yard on a wheel

12 PM: Luschas Lithuanian Egg Art, Christine Luschas| Lithuanian Egg Art, create beautiful hand-scratched eggs | Handout for kids and egg blowing

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2023 Festival Rack Card

Please feel free to print or share the 2023 Festival rack card with friends!

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Additional Festival Happenings: Live Music

Live Entertainment is back this year at the Festival! There will be three live acts on Saturday, October 7th.

  • 10:30AM – 11:30AM: The Dishonest Fiddlers are an emerging band from Pennsylvania’s coal region. The group is led by folk-singer/songwriter Dave Brown on guitar/harmonica, and features Shawn Caden on mandolin, and Jasper Paciotti on upright bass. A mixed bag of jug band, bluegrass, and folk music are obvious influences that have helped to foundation and forge and the band’s unique sound. Original songwriting, strong instrumental prowess and harmony singing have earned these hardworking musicians numerous opportunities to perform at notable music festivals and events throughout the northeast. So far the band has released 3 studio albums which can be found on most streaming services: The Whistle Missed the Train (2016); No Deeper Shade of Blue (2018); Based on a True Story (2020)
  • 12:00 Noon – 1:00PM: Hot Club of Scranton celebrates the swing music and hot jazz of the 1920’s through the 1940’s. They play the style of music made popular by Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman and other musicians of the swing era. The Hot Club gets their name and takes on this style specifically from Django Reinhardt and his image of jazz.  The Hot Club of Scranton is Roy Williams (Lead Guitar), Nick Driscoll (Clarinet), Mark Woodyatt (Violin), Mike Williams (Rhythm Guitar) and Ian O’Hara (Bass).
  • 1:30PM – 3:00PM: Mike Mizwinski + Northeast Extension: Mike Mizwinski, better known simply as Mike Miz is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Northeast Pennsylvania known for soulful and energetic live performances.  Encouraged by both his Mother and Father to pursue a passion for music, Mike began playing guitar at age 7 and started writing songs as early as age 10. Performing over 200 shows a year, he has had the privilege to open for Jason Isbell, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson, Blues Traveler, Derek Trucks, America, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Felice Brothers, Shawn Colvin, Leon Russell, Chris Isaak, Peter Wolf, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Jackie Greene, Railroad Earth and many more... Rolling Stone called Mike's 2021 single Virginia "a monster of a jam rocker." The new album Only Human was released 4/14/23. Mike currently resides in Nashville, TN.

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Covered Bridge Festival FAQ's

  1. Will there be a cost for entrance and parking? NO!
  2. Will there be help for handicapped? There will be scooters available to rent and will be located just inside of Gate 3. No pre-registration of scooters, wheelchairs, or wagons: please just show up and rent them! For more information, please visit: stillwaterscooters.com.
  3. Will there be transit trams operating in the parking lots? Yes!
  4. Will there be any kid-friendly activities? There will be several carnival-style games, a weekend petting zoo, and live crafter demonstrations throughout the festival.
  5. Are dogs allowed at the Festival? No, dogs are not permitted at the Festival. The Festival rents the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds for the event and thus abides by traditional Fairground policy regarding dog entry.
  6. Are service dogs allowed at the festival? Service dogs ARE PERMITTED at the Festival. You may be asked if the animal is required because of a disability and which task(s) the animal is trained to perform.
  7. Will there be ATMs there?  There are two ATMs available on premises.
  8. What types of food will be there? A wide variety of food vendors will be at the Festival. A complete list of food vendors is published on this page.
  9. How do you get into the Festival? Vehicles will enter the Fairgrounds through the main gate (Gate 3) of the Fairgrounds, or from the 5th Street side (Gate 6). Both will allow access into the main parking lot. Attendees will then enter the festival through the main gate (Gate 3). Attendees walking down from town can also enter through the pedestrian entrances on Leonard Street, Barton Street, & Gate 8.
  10. Where can I get Festival information on the day of the event? The information booth will be located right inside the main entrance (Gate 3).
  11. Will the gates open prior to 9 AM each day? The Festival officially opens at 9 AM each day; however gates may be opened prior to 9 AM at the discretion of Fairground security in consideration of patron safety. Vendors set-up/re-stock daily on the grounds; customers will NOT be permitted to enter while vendor vehicles are on-site.
  12. Will there be entertainment?  There will be music on Saturday only at the free stage.
  13. Where will the wineries, distilleries, and brewery be located?  There will be five wineries located in the Agricultural Building. There will also be two distilleries and one brewery located amongst the craft vendors in the festival grounds.

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Apply to be a Vendor!

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR APPLICANTS INTERESTED IN THE 2024 EVENT:
1. The 2024 Application is NOW AVAILABLE for all returning vendors and prospective new vendors.
2. The application is the same whether you are a returning or new vendor.
3. RETURNING VENDORS: please submit as soon as possible to receive priority consideration.
4. The application window for prospective NEW vendors will remain open until JULY 15.

CRAFT VENDORS:
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE 2024 CRAFTER APPLICATION!

FOOD VENDORS:
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE 2024 FOOD APPLICATION!

PLEASE NOTE: Once submitted, your application will held until it is time to be reviewed for entry. Our application process is now being hosted on Eventeny, a well-known platform for festivals. While you will be asked to input a payment method during the application process, you will not be charged for a booth space unless your application is marked "Accepted" to the festival. Please also be aware that Eventeny charges a 3% service fee, which will be added to your space payment.

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Sponsorship Opportunities

Thanks to our 2023 festival sponsors!

Brochure Sponsor

Landscaping Sponsor

Tram Sponsor

Co-Sponsor

Puzzle Sponsor

Co-Sponsor

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Vendor Testimonials

Toby Bouder - Woodturner; Liverpool, PA

Toby Bouder - Woodturner; Liverpool, PA
"I have been doing the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival for at least six years now, and it is always a very enjoyable and profitable show for me. I'm a part of the new fine arts section of the festival that was introduced last year. Linda and the Visitors Bureau staff have been great to work with in getting that set up."

The team at Bason Coffee Roasting at their storefront in Danville.

JoAnn & Brad Bason; Bason Coffee Roasting - Danville, PA
"As a small local business, it is important we attract folks from outside the local area. The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival provides us with an opportunity for tremendous exposure.  A common comment we hear from repeat customers in our shop is that they first found our coffee company at the Covered Bridge Festival.  I am certain that our success has been helped by being there each year."

Holly Steward - Holly's Handbags Plus; Berwick, PA

Holly Steward; Holly's Handbags Plus - Berwick, PA
"The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival is one of our favorite venues as a crafter. One nice thing about it is that it is easily accessible for all levels of mobility. Plus, there are high quality crafters with an amazing variety of crafts.  Come see for yourself!"

Judy Horning's Pennsylvania Dutch Rugs on display at a past Covered Bridge Festival.

Judy Horning; Pennsylvania Dutch Rugs - Fleetwood, PA
"I have been a vendor at the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival since 2007 and it has been my best show for sales every year since. It is well organized and well attended. It is definitely the highlight of my season."