Tag Archives: Brandywine Arts Festival

Brandywine Arts Festival Is Cancelled

This disappointing but not surprising news just came through from the News Journal:

After 48 years of tradition, there will be no Brandywine Arts Festival this weekend.

With the third proposed venue for the festival announced last week, organizers could not get enough commitments from artists to go through with the festival at its most recent possible site in Hockessin.

“It’s a sad, sad shame,” festival executive director Janie Blanch said about the cancellation, announced this morning. “After the third change, they were done.”

Nice one, Ms. Blanch, making it seem like it’s all the artists’ fault. Of course, if it’s the artists’ fault instead of horrible mismanagement of the festival, this statement doesn’t sound that outrageous:

Blanch said she cannot refund all the artists and craftmakers who spent up to $360 a space at the festival.

“That is impossible to do. We spent money on advertising and all this other stuff you spend money on like the Web site,” she said. “I’m going to get in touch with a lawyer and find out what I do next.”

What a shame. I hope that the artists can get their money back and that someone can save the Brandywine Arts Festival for the future.

From Autumn Festival to Fallen Festival

The Brandywine Arts Festival is a staple in northern Delaware. Its appearance along with The Arden Fair signal the change of seasons. As many of you have probably already heard, the Brandywine Arts Festival is without a home this year. Ryan Cormier has a great news article in the News Journal documenting the Brandywine Arts Festival’s journey from an yearly event to its current state of limbo with a touch of the hinky.

The News Journal reports that the Brandywine Arts Festival recently tried to move to St. Anthony in the Hills but was turned down. Artists and craft people, who have already paid money to the festival, have had no communication from the festival organizers, writes the NJ.

When the News Journal contacted the festival organizers, they were told to contact the festival lawyers for comment — not a good sign. And here is the hinky part, when the NJ contacted the attorney, the lawyer said that he was not representing the festival. According to the NJ, the organizers say that they are in the midst of hiring new representation.

As much as one can hope that the festival goes on, it doesn’t look good at this point.