One of the best things about visiting the Indiana Dunes is discovering experiences beyond the beach.
Just a few miles from the shoreline, the annual Chesterton Art Fair invites visitors to spend a summer weekend exploring original artwork, enjoying live music, and connecting with local creativity. It's the perfect complement to a weekend filled with hiking, beach time, and discovering the communities that make the Indiana Dunes area unique. It's just one of the many creative experiences waiting to be discovered.
Discover One of the Midwest's Premier Juried Art Fairs
Now in its 67th year, the Chesterton Art Fair has become one of Northwest Indiana's signature summer traditions. Held beneath the mature trees of Dogwood Park, the juried art festival brings together more than 90 artists from across the Midwest and beyond, offering paintings, photography, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, and mixed media.
Beyond the artwork, visitors can enjoy live music throughout the weekend, local food vendors, and free family activities, making it an easy way to spend several hours perusing art at a relaxed pace.
Keep the Creativity Going on the Arts + Culture Trail
Once you leave inspired by the artists and makers at the Chesterton Art Fair, continue your creative journey beyond Dogwood Park. The Indiana Dunes Arts + Culture Trail is a free, self-guided experience that highlights the nonprofit arts organizations, museums, galleries, theaters, and cultural spaces that tell the stories of Porter County.
The trail offers a deeper look at the creative people and places that shape the Indiana Dunes region. It's the perfect way to extend your visit and experience a different side of the destination.
For an added layer of fun, visitors can check in at the participating locations using the Indiana Dunes Tourism app and collect Sand + Steel art postcards designed specifically for the trail. See how many of the 14 collectible postcards you can collect during your stay!
Make it a Creative Weekend Getaway
The Chesterton Art Fair is just one more reason to spend a weekend exploring the Indiana Dunes area. Start your day with a hike through towering dunes, a stroll along Lake Michigan's shoreline, or a relaxing morning at the beach before heading to Dogwood Park to browse the fair's artist booths.
Afterward, continue your adventure by exploring downtown Chesterton's locally owned shops and restaurants, or venture out to discover more of the amazing communities throughout Porter County. As the evening approaches, unwind at a local brewery or enjoy dinner at one of the region's many restaurants before settling in for an overnight stay.
Plan Your Visit to the Chesterton Art Fair
Date: The Chesterton Art Fair is always the first full weekend of August. In 2026, it will take place on August 1and 2.
Time: The fair hours are 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.
Where: Dogwood Park, 1504 S. 23rd St., Chesterton, IN.
For more information, including a complete list of artists, visit ChestertonArt.org/chesterton-art-fair.
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