York Summer Art Market: Music, maze, murals, more

You’ll find a lot more than just art at this weekend’s Summer Art Market in the Royal Square Neighborhood of downtown York.

With about 80 local and regional craft vendors, live music, a puzzle maze, children’s activities and food trucks, the two-day festival is the event to be at this weekend.

The goal is to bring "a lot more people downtown, drawing more people into the area and getting people in here to see what’s happening,” organizer Stacy McClain, of The Parliament Arts Organization, said.

Here are five things to do if you go.

Shop for handmade jewelry, home décor, more

If close to 80 craft vendors and fine artists set up in the middle of a York street isn’t incentive enough to come downtown this weekend, we don’t know what is. When else do you have the chance to shop for handmade goods from up and down the East Coast all in one spot? You’ll find everything from artisan goods, upcycled items and trendy trinkets to handcrafted jewelry, vintage clothing and home décor along East King Street, South Duke Street and inside The Bond Events building, McClain said.

Visit summerartmarket.org for a full list of participating vendors.

Be the first to check out Royal Square’s community garden

Downtown York’s Royal Square neighborhood is opening a new urban community garden space, and Summer Art Market guests can be among the first to enjoy it.

The idea is to allow the community to use the garden at 110 S. Howard St. for educational workshops, youth activities, exercise classes and other events, Debbie Krout-Althoff of the Royal Square District said. When it’s finished, the city's urban oasis will have a turtle habitat, small fish pond, bee house, educational murals, seating and a vegetable garden that will provide urban-grown food for local organizations like the York Rescue Mission.

But for now, the formerly vacant and overrun space behind The Bond will be a hub for family activities during the Summer Art Market, like a petting zoo, bug and bee demonstrations, worm farm, storytelling and painting with veggies. Festival-goers can also paint a leaf on the garden’s Community Growing Tree mural.

The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, and family activities will continue throughout the weekend. Additional children’s activities like bounce houses and cardboard building can also be found at the intersection of South Duke Street and East Newton Avenue.

Test your smarts at the Puzzle Maze Challenge 

Think you have what it takes to complete the Puzzle Maze Challenge? Maze designer Dave Phillips has been working to create urban settings for his mazes, and his next location is downtown York. He’ll transform the backyard of The Parliament Arts Organization into one big step-over maze for guests of all ages to try to solve.

Each wooden plank of the maze will be color-coded. Your goal? To follow a color pattern through the maze, hopping over planks along the way to reach the other side. The maze will only be around for the Summer Art Market this weekend, Emily White, of The Parliament, said, so make sure you check it out before it’s gone.

Food trucks!

Come hungry. The Summer Art Market will offer a variety of food from Cajun to Italian at an outdoor food court. Confirmed food trucks include Corner Cabinet, The Flying Deutschman, Agin Cajun’s Back Porch, Blazing Swine, Potato Coop, Gourmand and Mara-Leo’s Italian Food Truck.

Area eateries like Glazin’ and 56 Urban Provisions will also be open for small bites.

See local and international acts in concert – for free

While the art vendors and family fun are great, perhaps the biggest draw of the Summer Art Market will be the live music. You can’t beat a free outdoor concert, especially with a lineup that includes the healing folk rock music of Philadelphia’s Strand of Oaks, a psychedelic indie-rock set from Boston’s four-piece Quilt and the lyrical storytelling of Brooklyn indie rock band Big Thief. The lineup will also include local acts The Ok-Ok’s, Shawan and the Wonton, Analog Watts and Port Ellis.

Here’s a look at the weekend’s lineup.

SATURDAY

• 12:45-1:30 p.m.: The Ok-Ok’s (York)
• 2:10-2:55 p.m.: Big Thief (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• 3:35-4:10 p.m.: Boogarins (Brazil)
• 4:50-5:50 p.m.: Quilt (Boston)
• 6:30-8 p.m.: Strand of Oaks (Philadelphia)

SUNDAY

• Noon-12:40 p.m.: Shawan And The Wonton (Harrisburg)
• 1:20-2 p.m.: Analog Watts (York)
• 2:40-3:30 p.m.: Port Ellis (York)
• 4-6 p.m.: Urban Guerrilla Orchestra (Philadelphia)

The stage will be set up at the intersection of King and Queen streets.

If you go

What: Summer Art Market

When: Noon to 8 p.m. July 30 and noon to 6 p.m. July 31

Where: Royal Square District along King and Duke streets and inside The Bond, 134 E. King St., York

Cost: Free

Parking: Free parking is available at the West King Street, West Philadelphia Street and East Market Street garages all day Saturday and Sunday.

More information: Visit www.summerartmarket.org.