Spring isn’t too far away, and for the City of East Lansing that means the East Lansing Art Festival is just around the corner.

Serving as the unofficial kickoff of spring in our community and the region as a whole, the East Lansing Art Festival is a highly anticipated annual event that has successfully drawn an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 visitors to downtown East Lansing for a running 45 years. This year, the 46^th Annual East Lansing Art Festival will hit East Lansing’s downtown streets on the weekend of May 16 and 17. Recently ranked 32^nd among a list of the 200 best art fairs and festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine, the East Lansing Art Festival has become a nationally renowned event with its showcase of 230 of the top artist exhibitors from across the country and Canada.

The East Lansing Art Festival has grown in stature in its 46 years and has drawn thousands of tourists to the region from throughout the state and other far-reaching places. These visitors stay to shop in our region’s stores, eat in our region’s restaurants and stay over night in our region’s hotels – generating an undeniably positive economic impact for greater Lansing as a whole.

With recent news of drastic statewide cuts in Michigan’s arts and cultural grant funding, it is now more important than ever for FOOFs – Friends of our Festival – to show their support for this beloved, longstanding arts and cultural festival. Support for this event will in turn support the region as a whole.

I encourage past FOOFs to renew their commitment this year and I encourage others to become a first-time FOOF. The financial support FOOFs provide make the festival possible and help create the unique quality of live we have come to enjoy in our community. Print this FOOF brochure and mail it to the East Lansing Art Festival with your donation to become a FOOF today.