Artsfest at the Civic Club 2025
An upcoming show will let the community get a taste of the area’s up-and-coming artists.
During Artsfest over Memorial Day weekend, the Civic Club of Harrisburg will host local artists in its riverfront building, helping newer artists get their foot in the door.
“We are attracting people who don’t generally do shows,” said Reina 76 Artist of Harrisburg, the event organizer. “We offer the opportunity to be part of something larger.”
This will be the fifth year that the Civic Club has hosted the event, this year bringing 35 vendors who will show and sell their wares from May 23 to 25. There will be videography, jewelry, fine art, woodwork, fashion, photography and more, including returning and new vendors.
Reina said she helps guide newer artists on how to set up a vendor stand, how to market themselves and engage with the public. The experience, she said, helps build their confidence.
“It’s like the training wheels,” she said.
While the main Artsfest includes a juried selection process and entry fee, the Civic Club’s show is a low barrier to entry. Some artists who started in the Civic Club have eventually gone on to be selected to vend at Artsfest, Reina said proudly.
Artsfest in the Civic Club 2025. Pictured: Jemar Sweets.
The event also gives the public the chance to view the historic Civic Club building and grounds, Reina said. The club also hosts a wine garden outside during the festival.
Contrena Baltimore, president of the Civic Club, said that the event serves as a “cultural gathering.”
“The Artsfest, for us at the Civic Club, is not just an event, it is a returning breath,” Baltimore said. “A yearly gathering where art, people and place remember each other.”
Reina is especially excited about the community that the art show is forming in Harrisburg.
“I’ve always wanted to build a community of artists,” she said. “We need that in the city full-time. We need that collective and camaraderie throughout the year.”
Each day of the festival, the Civic Club show will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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