Wrightsville Art and Outdoor Fest is free, offers live music

If you go

Where: Shank's Mare Outfitters, 2092 Long Level Road, Wrightsville

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1

Admission: Free

Directions: From U.S. Route 30, take the Wrightsville exit. Drive south to Route 462 and turn left at the traffic light. Continue through Wrightsville and keep left at the Y to Route 624 south. Do not cross the Wrightsville-Columbia Bridge. Stay on Route 624 south under the bridge. Drive 5.2 miles and proceed straight at the stop sign, keeping the river on the left. Do not go up the hill away from the river. Drive three more blocks to Shank's Mare.

Details: For more information, visit shanksmare.com or call 717-252-1616.

The Shank's Mare Art and Outdoor Fest started as a way to entice people to the Susquehanna River, said co-owner Liz Winand.

Winand said people who are attracted to the environment and culture of the river also "tend to be art lovers."

And, Saturday, the touring, fishing, and whitewater-kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, hiking and cross country skiing outfitter will mix the two — art and the outdoors — together again for the sixth time at the Shank's Mare Art and Outdoor Fest.

It also is the 37th anniversary of the opening of Shank's Mare, Winand said.

"We have a nice selection of artists" who will offer their works for sale on the lawn, Winand said.

The featured artists are: Kathleen McLane, re-purposed glass art; John Beatty, nature photographer; Pam Gigac, painted slates; William and Linda Wolf, Wolf Wood Werks; Sarah Wood, Blackbird Designs jewelry; Burt Aulisio, galactic artist, Tom Deneen, woodturning; and Peggy Broome, Lil Brown Goat Soaps.

Organizations with ties to the river and area will set up on the porch of the 1880's era general store building, Winand said.

Those organizations include: York County Heritage Rail Trail; The Last Dog Rescue; Watershed Alliance of York; Lake Clarke River Rescue; Lancaster Canoe Club; Southcentral Pennsylvania Search and Rescue; Lower Windsor Area Historical Society; Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna; Mason-Dixon Trail Club; Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area; and York Hiking Club.

The J.C. Fisher Band will play from noon until 2 p.m. and The Robert Bobby Duo will play from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

"So, it's a party," Winand said. "And, it's free."

Winand said the fest has grown in popularity over the years and attracted "more than 400 people throughout the day last year."

"We would really like people to come and enjoy the river, learn something and support your local artists," she said.