Now in its 37th year, the St. Stephen’s Art and MakersFest taking place this weekend has a creative energy all its own. “Everything about the St. Stephen’s Fair is funky and accessible,” festival organizer Daisy Holcombe says.
The annual art fair that expects to welcome 50,000 visitors this weekend in downtown Coconut Grove may not be the event you’re thinking about. But you should.
The St. Stephen’s Art and MakersFest is a free, three-day event that takes place every President’s Day weekend at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on McFarlane Road — the same weekend as the larger, better-known Coconut Grove Arts Festival.
The annual fair, now celebrating its 37th year with 110 juried artists and 100-plus volunteers, has a creative energy very much in line with the community that supports it.
“We’re known for sound, color, and flavor,” says Daisy Holcombe, the event’s producer. She’s been running the fair for 16 years. “Everything about the St. Stephen’s Fair is funky and accessible.”
Patrons are greeted by enthusiastic volunteers in tie-dye t-shirts marked with Grateful Dead-inspired font. Guests can browse the art or rest under the oak trees listening to local musicians play the main stage while kids make crafts at the Family Oasis.
There’s also an open-air mass with a blessing of the art on Sunday morning, an authentic Tea Room and Garden, and for the first time, they’re hosting an in-church evening concert for Valentine’s Day.
At 33, Holcombe learned she had Stage 4 colon cancer while under the oak trees at the fair. The year she completed chemotherapy she was hired as the event’s producer.
“They hired me as a professional and I ended up becoming a parishioner,” she says. “That’s how lovely this community is and this particular event brings out the best in our entire parish, school, and community.”
Holcombe focuses her energy on finding sponsors so that everyone is not only welcome, but can afford to attend. The fair is free, a representation of the inclusive mission of the church. That same spirit was highlighted when, five years ago, the fair surveyed its patrons and learned that many people refer to it as “our show.”
Money raised by the sale of conch fritters, onion rings, burgers, and hotdogs at the Holy Grill support the church’s ministry and community outreach efforts, including food distribution, free tax preparation, and medication for AIDS patients.
Food is a central theme of the event since the fair actually started as a sort of food court for the Coconut Grove Arts Festival.
Colorado resident Bruce Denton remembers those days well. Since 2010, he’s made an annual pilgrimage to volunteer at the fair following in the footsteps of his parents, who helped found the fair, and leading the way for his nieces.
Additionally, his sister Martha Gagliano is the volunteer director. He even recalls his grandmother, a church member and volunteer, serving hot coffee and bagels alongside the choir and altar guild one morning of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival around 40 years ago.
“It’s a multigenerational calling,” Holcombe explains.
Holcombe’s 25-year-old nephew Kyle Ruperto lives in Chicago and will also fly in to volunteer at the event. He’s been doing so for the last 15 years. In middle school, his duty was to hand out flyers. Eventually, he was tasked with launching the Art4Kids area, sponsored and presented by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School.
Now, he’s responsible for running the financial aspects of the fair. He credits his volunteer work in event management with creating a strong foundation for his current career as a project manager.
“I consider all the volunteers there a family and a lot of artists have seen me grow up,” Ruperto says. “The relationships to the artists are what sets us apart. We spend a lot more time with them throughout the show.”
Denton agrees that the artists are at the center of the event.
“I find it’s amazing what they [the artists] do, going from one art show to another. It’s really a labor of love… It’s always fun to see the pieces leave with customers as they walk out.”
Painter Sydney Carter works the artist fair circuit, selling his work at booths around the country. For more than 20 years, he’s participated in St. Stephen’s, traveling from his home in Powder Springs, Georgia, to Coconut Grove.
“I’ve been going there forever!” he laughs.
He was originally accepted into the Coconut Grove Arts Festival but decided to exhibit at St. Stephen’s instead.
“Why go there when there’s so much joy at St. Stephen’s?” he asks. “It’s not even about the sales – it’s about the brotherhood. Every time I go, it’s always a good feeling. I feel like I belong there.”
Holcombe works hand in hand with the Coconut Grove Arts Festival executive director Camille Marchese to bring in artists. Marchese refers artists to Holcombe and the festivals purposefully stagger their deadlines so artists have more of an opportunity to apply.
“We’re a harmonious yin and yang, not competitors,” Holcombe explains.
Carter enjoys engaging with people who return year after year to the fair just to see him. Sometimes they even visit him at his rural gallery, Sidney’s Creations, to purchase his music-inspired paintings.
“St. Stephen’s helps us [artists] really build a foundation so that when we come off the road, these people and their kids will still be collecting our work,” he says.
“[Carter’s] work stands out no matter which set of judges we have rotating through,” says Holcombe. “He loves our show like we love him. Every volunteer knows him, greets him, and he patiently waits to set up.”
She says he often takes emerging artists under his wing.
“He believes in the creative process in the industry and in hoping and helping to keep in-person art alive and well through festivals and exhibitions. In a digital world, that’s definitely something to be passionate about.”
What: The 37th annual St. Stephens Art and MakersFest will run from Saturday, Feb. 14 to Monday, Feb. 16. The festival features food, music, and 110 juried artists. Saturday, Feb. 15, there is a free concert at the church. Doors open at 6 p.m.
When: Festival hours are 9 a.m. to sunset with music from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 2750 McFarlane Road, with a second entrance at 3439 Main Highway.
Tickets: The event is free.
More info: Visit sseccg.org/outreach/art-show
