Prairie Village Art Show kicks off for 65th time

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (KCTV) - The Prairie Village Art Show, now in its 65th year, kicked off Friday.

A section of the Prairie Village Shops at 69th and Mission roads is lined with white tents and 100 artists displaying their talents this weekend. People started milling around Friday evening before it was even officially open.

The Plaza Art Fair may be the oldest and biggest in town, but this fair is the second oldest in the metro. The shopping center where it’s happening was developed by the same people behind the Plaza. The shops opened in 1947 and the art show started 10 years later.

Artists come from around the nation. There is a kids art area, and plenty of adults could be spotted sipping on a summery sangria or cold beer.

“This is, what? About the fifth or sixth time we’ve been out here. And, it’s always fun to see all the different artworks out here. We always buy a little, few things here and there. It’s just fun to get out and, of course, get a little cool sangria while you’re walking around,” said attendee Tom Tarbutton.

“I can’t remember the last time I missed one, except for the one they didn’t have over the pandemic. So, I think we love right now because it hasn’t happened. And, we’re just looking forward to just feeling normal all over again,” said Akiko Kubo, who’s been coming for 20 years.

Organizers said they typically have 15,000 visitors over the three-day event. That’s nothing to sneeze at but it is a fraction of the Plaza Art Fair’s typical turnout of 250,000. For some, that’s what they like about it. They go to both, but Prairie Village’s is a bit more relaxed and they can find art for a more modest price point.

“The Plaza Art Fair is wonderful, but there’s a whole lot of people there and it gets awful crowded. Here you can take your time to look at stuff a little bit better,” said Tarbutton.

Below is the schedule for the weekend:

Friday

• Art Show: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
• Live Music: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday

• Chris Cakes Pancakes: 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
• Art Show: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Live Music: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Sunday

• Art Show: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Live Music: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

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