Fine arts and crafts, the best wine and live entertainment — what better reasons do you need to mark your calendar for this year’s Boston Mills Artfest? If high-quality art and a good time is your thing, you definitely won’t want to miss this exciting event.

2012 Boston Mills Art Fest
Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort
7100 Riverview Road
Peninsula, OH 44264
(330) 467-2242
www.bmbw.com

Price: $8 for Adults, $6 for Seniors age 60 and over, $6 for Students ages 13-21, Ages 12 and under are free. Free parking.

Weekend One
Preview Night: Friday, June 29 – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Regular Show: Saturday, June 30 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, July 1 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Weekend Two
Preview Night: Friday, July 6 – 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Regular Show: Saturday, July 7 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, July 8 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Started in 1971 and entering its 41st consecutive run as a nationally-recognized venue of fine arts and crafts, the Boston Mills Artfest is being held this year at Boston Mills Ski Resort in the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron. The event is comprised of two separate shows held on consecutive weekends.

The fun begins each Friday evening, rain or shine, with a festive preview party where patrons can purchase art while enjoying a variety of select drinks. 2009 SeaGlass Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Little Black Dress Moscato, Lanzarini Magneta Malbec and di Lenardo Pinot Grigio were just a few of the wine selections from the 2011 party list, and for beer lovers the Goose Island selection included Fluer, Matilda, PepeNero, Sofie and Summertime. All drinks will be featured with recommended food and cheese pairings made available by the Seven Grains Natural Market, and patrons will also be treated to hors d’oeuvres created by Red’s Place in Twinsburg.

Please keep in mind that these preview parties are for ages 21 and over only and that ticket prices for the parties are $40 in advance and $50 at the door. The advance reservation deadline will be June 27 for the June Party and July 4 for the July Party. Once the advance reservation date passes, tickets will be available online until 2 p.m. on the Thursday before each weekend’s events.

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What about entertainment? The band schedule for 2012 is still up in the air, but just to give you an idea of what’s to come, last year’s event saw live performances from The Speedbumps, Cats on Holiday, Mo Mojo, Austin “Waling” Cane and The Stringblues Band, among others top-notch entertainers.

Featured artwork for the show will include ceramics, paintings, glass, leather, watercolors, mixed media, jewelry, wearable and non-wearable fiber, sculpture and more, all of which will be for sale. All spots for 2012 have been filled, but anyone interested in exhibiting their artwork at next year’s event may apply online.

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So what are you waiting for? Check out the Boston Mills Artfest website for a lineup of all 2012 featured artists and photos from last year’s show. Also, check back closer to the art event to see who will be making an appearance this year. Call your friends and family and buy up a handful of tickets, because this is one exhibit you won’t want to miss.

Joshua Lawson is a husband to Sarah and a father to Joshua, Hope, and Allison. Once upon a time he was a halfway decent basketball player, but his dream since becoming a father has gone from playing in the NBA to one day getting a full night’s sleep again. Joshua lives in Portsmouth, OH. His work can be found at Examiner.com.