With Christmas almost upon us, a new year—and the promise of spring—is right around the corner. With that in mind, the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce is now looking for artists, artisans and craftspeople to join the lineup for the 2018 edition of Camellia Cityfest, set for Saturday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Greenville.

“This will be our fourth year for the event, and we are so excited to continue our commitment to bringing a first-rate arts and crafts festival to our town,” says Stephanie Steadham, executive assistant for the GACoC.  “With that in mind, we are now accepting applications for festival space.”

In 2018, arts and crafts vendors will line up along Commerce Street from Fort Dale/Church St.(First Realty) to Pine Street (First Presbyterian Church).

“We are shifting our entire route closer to Confederate Park where our food, music and entertainment will be located,” says Steadham. “The layout will be very convenient for everyone, with restrooms available at City Hall and at the Ritz Studio (former Main St. office). Our goal is for this to be a truly fun, family-friendly event that exhibitors and attendees alike will enjoy and keep coming back to year after year.”

The Cityfest committee will be evaluating each vendor application, looking for a variety of arts and crafts to attract attendees, including, but not limited to, original paintings, prints, fine art photography, hand-crafted furnishings, pottery, hand-crafted jewelry, wood crafts, quilts, wreaths, homemade soaps, candles, bath and body items, dolls, children’s toys, knifes, hand-smocked clothing and more.

“We really want to offer something to draw everyone to the Camellia City and to our wonderful historic downtown, so if you have something special to offer our attendees, please consider applying to join our event,” says GACoC  executive director Francine Wasden. “We will be striving not to have a lot of duplicate goods, so the earlier you can apply, the better.”

Booth sizes will be 12’ x 12’ and will be on asphalt;  tents are welcome, but tent weights are highly recommended, as no anchors or nails will be allowed and there will be no power access, says Steadham.

Set-up may begin as early as 7 a.m. on March 10; all exhibitors are asked to have their booths ready by 8:30 a.m.

The entry fee for Camellia Cityfest is $40 (non-refundable), which should be submitted with a completed application no later than February 20 to the chamber offices at the Depot. Once an application is approved by the Cityfest committee, booth assignment will be made.

For more information or to obtain an application, call the chamber at 382-3251, visit their website at www.greenvillealchamber.com or stop in at their offices at One Depot Square in Greenville.