Art, Food, and Fun at Peoria Heights Fine Art Fair

PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (WMBD) — The Peoria Heights Fine Art Fair is giving people a chance to shop local, support artists and enjoy a weekend filled with art, food and live entertainment.

The event is being held Saturday and Sunday in Peoria Heights. Angela Bottrell, co-chair of the 2026 Peoria Heights Fine Art Fair, said this year’s fair features 36 artists, along with several vendors, food trucks, drink vendors, local musicians, bands and DJs.

“We have a gathering of excellent artists that have come to show and sell their art,” Bottrell said. “We have a lineup of musicians today also, so we’ve got several local musicians and bands that are going to play and a couple of local DJs.”

Bottrell said visitors can expect to see a wide variety of artwork, including woodworking, paintings, jewelry, pottery and fiber art. She said one artist creates fiber art that looks like paintings.

The fair has become a tradition in Peoria Heights. Bottrell said organizers believe the event has been running for at least eight to 10 years, though the exact history goes back farther.

For local artists, Bottrell said events like this can be a major opportunity.

“A lot of them, it’s their livelihood,” Bottrell said. “So it’s a huge deal to have events like this for them to be able to come out and sell their work.”

Bottrell said the fair also gives the community a chance to experience art in a more accessible setting.

“We feel it’s good for the community as well to be able to be exposed to art, because sometimes people just don’t have the access and they don’t get to see art on a regular basis or see it in a setting like this,” she said.

The event is also taking place over Mother’s Day weekend, giving families another way to celebrate. Bottrell said people can bring mom out for a mimosa, walk around the fair, enjoy food and check out the artwork. A brunch vendor is also expected to be part of Sunday’s lineup.

Bottrell said she hopes people leave the fair with a greater appreciation for the artists and the work they put into their pieces.

“They spend a lot of time and effort and they have immense talent,” Bottrell said. “We have some really impressive things for them to see, but also just the fact that it’s a nice community event.”