Artists and Vendors Application Information

2027 LEEPER PARK ART FAIR

Location
Leeper Park is located at 907 Riverside Drive, South Bend, Indiana

Artist Contact
Hedy Lane, (571) 435-6217, leeperparkartfairSB@gmail.com

Show Facts
Ranked #65 in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s BEST for 2026
Show Dates: June 19-20, 2027
Fair hours: 10:00am-6:00pm Saturday and 10:00am-5:00pm Sunday
Registration and set-up: Friday, June 18, beginning at 11:00am, through 9:00am Saturday
Artists will be assigned a time to enter the park to set up on Friday.
Welcome Reception: Friday, 5:00-7:00
Booth Judging: Begins Saturday at 10:00am, winners announced Sunday morning
Awards: $4000, Best of Show, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8 Judge’s Choice
Take Down: Sunday, 5:00pm
No early take downs allowed.

Application Facts
Applications open December 1, 2026 at zapplication.org
Artist and Food Vendor Applications Due: March 1, 2027
Notification: March 15, 2027
Accept Invitation and Booth Payment Due: April 1, 2027
Exempt Artist booth fee due March 1

Amenities
Friday evening welcome reception
Catered full breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
Booth Sitting
Overnight Security
Convenient load-in/load-out with assistance available
Free parking
Each artist featured on our website and social media

ENTRY RULES

Applications are made through zapplication.org.

2026 award winners are jury exempt for the 2027 fair. Exempt artists must apply to the show via ZAPP, and will be emailed a coupon code to bypass the jury fee. All artists must pay the $350 booth fee by March 1, 2027 to reserve their spot.

Media categories include Clay, Digital Art, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking and Drawing, Sculpture, and Wood.
Not acceptable: Factory made wearable items, regardless of modiUcation or enhancement by the artist; jewelry created solely from commercially manufactured elements; artwork created using artiUcial intelligence tools. All works exhibited must be made by the exhibiting artist. No buy/sell or commercially manufactured work is allowed.

A panel of experts in the various fields judge entries based on the criteria of originality, craftsmanship, difficulty, and booth presentation.

ENTRY FEE

Jury fee: $25
Single Booth fee: $350
Double Booth fee: $700

No money will be refunded after May 1, 2026.
Refund for cancellation after May 1 is contingent on filling the vacancy.
In the event that we must cancel the show, Leeper Park Art Fair will reimburse artist booth fees.

IMAGES

Applicants will be juried by four images representative of each medium to be exhibited. Three images must be of individual pieces of work and the fourth image must be of your current display. The display should be an accurate depiction of your work and presentation, including your tent. There should be no name or people visible in the booth. The images should be jpeg files, 1920 X 1920 pixels (as per Zapplication format) A description of the images and a brief biography should be included.

AWARDS

A team of impartial judges not affiliated with the St. Joe Valley Watercolor Society review all participants on Saturday of the Fair to determine the award winners.

Cash Prizes
$4000 in prizes is awarded to Best of Show, 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and eight Judge’s Awards, as well as two Merit awards presented to members of the St. Joe Valley Watercolor Society who have been juried into the Fair.

Award winners will be jury exempt the following year.

DISPLAYS and ARTIST INFORMATION

Display space is 10’x10′ with ample space provided between and behind booths for display and storage. Double booths must be requested on your application.

Only one artist per exhibit space. All exhibitors are required to be in attendance: no stand-ins or agents are permitted. Exhibitors must check in with a valid ID. A professional photographer may take reference photos of artist booths. Leeper Park does not allow staking, booths must be secured by tent weights.

REPRODUCTIONS:

• All reproductions must be signed and numbered.
• All reproductions, whether framed or unframed, must be clearly and individually labelled “REPRODUCTION” or “LIMITED EDITION REPRODUCTION.” This notice must appear on the FRONT of each item displayed.
• Framed reproductions may be displayed in browse bins and/or hung on ONE wall of booth. All unframed reproductions must be displayed in browse bins.
• Unframed reproductions may NOT be displayed in browse bins with original artwork.

SET UP, PARKING and TAKE DOWN

Artists will be given a time slot to enter the park to set up, beginning at 11:00am Friday. No early arrivals. Artists must be set up by 9:00am Saturday. Assistance will be available for unloading. After unloading, artists must move their vehicle, park in designated areas, and display the parking pass issued to them. Exhibitors violating parking rules will be towed. Take down begins at 5:00pm Sunday. Early take down is not allowed. No vehicle will be allowed to enter the park grounds before 5:00pm Sunday. Exhibitors violating set up and take down rules will not be invited to the 2028 fair.

In the event of impending severe weather, we will determine if artists may close down early.

SECURITY

Security will be provided Friday and Saturday nights for the purpose of leaving displays set up. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR ART WORK. Leeper Park Art Fair is not responsible for any loss or damage to artwork due to theft/weather.

CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
There will be no refunds for artist cancellations after May 1, 2026. Artists facing an emergency cancellation should contact Hedy Lane hedy_lane@yahoo.com for special consideration. Should Leeper Park Art Fair have to cancel the show for any reason, booth fees will be refunded.

TAXES
Collecting and paying Indiana 7% sales tax is the responsibility of the artist. Sales tax information and forms may be found at www.in.gov.

PROMOTION

We publicize Leeper Park Art Fair extensively thoughout the area via social and print media, community calendars, Visitor’s Bureau, South Bend marketing portals, and the Leeper Park Art Fair website, Facebook, and Instagram pages. Artists are provided e-postcards and links to promote their attendance at the show.

ARTIST CONTACT

If you have any questions or special needs, please contact Hedy Lane at (571) 435-6217 or email leeperparkartfairSB@gmail.com

Food/Beverage Vendors

Food/beverage vendor applications are reviewed by Renee Keller, rjkeller2@hotmail.com, ‭(574) 850-1037.
The deadline for food/beverage vendor applications is March 1, 2027. An image of your display and list of your menu must accompany your application. You will be contacted for proof of insurance and current Temporary Food Permit in order to secure your spot at the fair.

Food Vendor Rental Fees
Food truck fee is $200 ($100 for beverage/small carts). All fees are paid at zapplication.org. Small cart vendors will be given a coupon code to receive the discounted fee at ZAPP checkout. Once your application is accepted, payment is due by May 1, 2027.

Additional time to pay your vendor fee may be arranged with Renée Keller. Food/Beverage vendor applications are reviewed on a first come/first served basis. We will not duplicate menus. Food/Beverage vendors are responsible for any additional fees assigned by the South Bend Park Department.

Vendor Check In-Out
Food vendor set up is from 11am-3:00pm Friday June 18. All vendors must remain open during fair hours, Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm, Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm. Food vendors must park in designated areas.

Vendor Equipment Requirements
Food/Beverage Vendors are responsible for all equipment needed for their operations.
Generators may be needed due to limited electricity available at Leeper Park, and will be the responsibility of the vendor to provide if additional electricity is needed. Leeper Park Art Fair will not be responsible for loss or damage of any items.

Release
Vendors will be required to sign a release (see Legal Agreement) discharging Leeper Park Art Fair from any loss or damage to property held by the vendor.

Contact
Food/Beverage vendors may contact Renee Keller rjkeller2@hotmail.com, ‭(574) 850-1037 with questions.