The smell of cotton candy filled the air on Saturday as students and community members alike wove between colorful tents, stopping to admire paintings, pottery and handcrafted jewelry at the Festifall Arts Market’s Carolina Day.
“I think a lot of people don’t even know this goes on,” Patti Lallo, a vendor at the festival and owner of Printed by Patti, said. “They just hear the music, or see the tent set up, and just take a walk through and realize what’s happening.”
Lallo is one of many creators who travel from the far ends of North Carolina to participate in Festifall. Based in Wilmington, Printed By Patti designs bright, graphic artwork that is then printed on clothing, canvases and stickers.
Packing in more than 30 vendors, Festifall celebrates a myriad of art forms from wood turning and quilting to pottery and printmaking. For 50 years, local artists have shared their work at Festifall, many returning year after year to reconnect with the community and keep the tradition alive.
However, Festifall isn’t just for seasoned artists. Among the rows of tents, Student-Made UNC, a collective of university student artists and entrepreneurs, stood as a bridge between campus creativity and the wider Chapel Hill-Carrboro community.
“It’s really nice to see the town working together with UNC-Chapel Hill students, and supporting us in this way,” Anna Routh, a senior majoring in public policy and history who serves as an event and partnership manager with Student-Made, said.
Student-Made provides UNC student artists with access to opportunities and resources that can be hard to find on one’s own, featuring creators who make everything from crochet animals to keychains.
A short walk down the street revealed yet another corner of creativity. At another booth, local Artist Jake Goodnight of Goodnight Clay displayed his intricate works of pottery. Goodnight said that, because Festifall charges no vendor fees, it makes it ideal for small businesses, opening the door for artists of all kinds to share their work.
During the festival, wandering down Church Street felt like stepping through a living gallery. Every few steps, the crowd shifted, the music changed and new bursts of color drew attention.
From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., performances ushered in large crowds by the main stage tucked behindQue Chula, adding another layer to the creative energy.
At noon, guitarist Andrew Kasab opened the festival with folk melodies, followed by the synchronized choreography of the Chinese School at Chapel Hill and, shortly after, music from Tre. Charles.
At 2 p.m., the Prema Natya Dance School performed works of traditional Indian Bharatanatyam dance, followed by the drums of Living Rhythms, who performed an hour later. Carolina Day closed with the Warpaint Singers, whose songs carried throughout Franklin Street.
“It’s really fun just to be surrounded by other art,” Lallo said. “So [to] have something so centered on art of all different kinds is really fun.”
Lallo said she loves the chance to educate others and talk about her art-making by explaining her creative process and chatting with visitors.
As the afternoon went on, the crowd moved with an easy rhythm, with visitors stopping to sample food or acquire a henna tattoo. Each tent offered a new surprise, transforming the street into a place of organized spontaneity.
“I think pretty much everything is local artisans, which is fun,” Carolina Day attendee Franny Cochran said. “It’s fun to come out and meet new people. And it’s sort of an interesting mix of the UNC school life, and then also Chapel Hill and Carrboro as a community.”