Overview Art In The Pearl is Portland's largest outdoor art fair, held every Labor Day weekend under the trees of the North Park Blocks in the Pearl District. More than 140 juried artists from the United States and Canada show and sell painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics, woodwork, fiber and glass from their own booths. Admission is free. A volunteer board of working artists runs it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. On site Visitors walk rows of booths along NW 8th Avenue between Davis and Flanders and buy original work straight from the people who made it. Weavers, potters, sculptors, calligraphers and metalworkers work in the Artist Demonstration Area, and the Hands-On Art Pavilion gives kids and adults something to make. Strolling musicians and food vendors fill the park blocks. Sponsors get space in the sponsor booth and signage across the festival. Audience Portland art collectors, Pearl District neighbors, families and visitors from around the Northwest, from veteran buyers to people choosing their first original piece. Free entry brings in a broad slice of the city, and many artists reported record sales at the latest festival. Talent and Influencers Every exhibitor is picked by a jury from applicants across North America, and jury awards such as Best of Show go out by medium, from ceramics to printmaking to jewelry. An Emerging Artist Program gives up-and-coming regional artists a professional booth. Guilds including the Portland Handweavers Guild, Pacific Northwest Sculptors, the Oregon Potters Association and the Creative Metal Arts Guild run the demonstrations. Track record The festival started after Portland's ArtQuake celebration ended and has filled the North Park Blocks every Labor Day weekend since. It draws around 50,000 people over three days, and its organizers count it among the ten best arts and crafts festivals in the country. Brand presence OPB, All Classical Radio, The Oregonian and Portland Monthly are the major sponsors, several for more than a decade. Pearl District businesses such as Cambria Hotel, Downtown Self Storage, Bonta Gelato and World Foods Portland give as Patrons of the Pearl. Sponsors are listed in the Festival Guide and on artinthepearl.com, and major sponsors are credited in the festival's newspaper ads. In-kind gifts count.