‘Summerfest’ celebrates community art
Logan’s annual Summerfest Arts Faire is held Father’s Day Weekend
each June. This year was no different, with the event being held from June 12–14 at the Cache County Fairgrounds. The event ran until 10 p.m. each night, allowing attendees to stay late and enjoy musical performances.
Admission to the event is always free, offering guests an opportunity to experience many art forms such as photography, painting and dancing. There were multiple food vendors present, such as Caffe Ibis and Kettle Korn of Cache Valley.
According to logansummerfest.org, over 160 artists and small businesses attend each year to present and sell their fine art and unique gifts. “Creation Stations” were featured at the event as well, containing supplies so families could try their hand at different projects. Many of the vendors were from Logan, but some traveled from different counties and states to participate.
On the second day of the event, local Logan musician Craig Mecham performed for the sixth year in a row, this tiwme featuring music from his newest album “It’s Not Too Late.”
“Summerfest crowds are interesting,” Mecham said. “You get people that are just walking by, and they stop and listen for a few minutes, and then you get other people that come specifically to see you.”
Despite living in Logan, Mecham has performed in many different states such as Pennsylvania, Oregon and Ohio. He has been making music since he was 14 and also owns a marketing and consulting business.
“We keep pretty busy,” Mecham said.
Summerfest isn’t only convenient and close by for him, but it also allows him to participate in the local community more broadly.
“It is a really, really fun event,” Mecham said. “I am thrilled to participate. It’s well organized, and it’s a highlight of the summer here in Cache Valley.”
Jeffrey Favero is a fine art photographer who had a booth at this year’s festival selling prints of his photos. Favero bought his first camera in 1975, and although he got a degree in accounting from Utah State University and worked as a dentist for 27 years, he now works as a full time photographer.
“This year was especially rewarding, beyond the sales we made,” Favero wrote in an email to The Utah Statesman. “I had the opportunity to judge the Plein Air Art entries, and especially appreciated the ‘Rising Star’ youth category.”
The Plein Air Contest is another event held at Summerfest each year, allowing participants to enter paintings and photographs. There is an amateur and professional division, and the “Rising Star” category is reserved for artists who are 16 and younger. Winners receive a cash prize, and everyone has the opportunity to sell their art at a silent auction, which is held every day of the event.
Favero first had a booth at Summerfest in 2012 and opted to return each year his schedule permitted.
“As a USU graduate, part of my heart stayed in Cache Valley — especially since my wife and I were newlyweds in Logan as I completed my degree,” Favero wrote. “I appreciated that Summerfest only allows artists who actually craft what they sell.”
Not only are artists able to connect with the general public, but they also have the opportunity to meet and connect with other artists.
“Sometimes I’ll go see other musicians perform that I know or that I want to hear, so it’s a great place to hear lots of great music and see some really great art and very talented artists,” Mecham said.
Applications to have a booth at the event open in December the prior year. There are also opportunities for volunteer work, with applications closing two days before the festival.