By Susie Scott
The 2026 Mandarin Art Festival is officially underway after an early Oct. 1 planning meeting. Volunteers are needed, as well as a show chair to coordinate and bring it all together by April 2026.
Many components of the festival are fully organized and staffed by volunteers, including the Children’s Art Show, the Bake Sale, the Community Club table, advertising, sponsor and donor solicitation and many other activities critical to the festival’s success.
The festival, which started in 1968 by the Mandarin Community Club, has grown into the largest event in Mandarin. Under the majestic oaks of Mandarin, more than 130 fine art and fine craft exhibitors and more than a dozen local artisans in the Green Market sell handmade, locally crafted consumable products.
Inside the 150-year-old historic building, the Children’s Art Show has been an integral part of the festival for generations, making parents and family members proud while encouraging aspiring young artists. Also inside is a traditional bake sale fundraiser featuring homemade treats baked by Community Club members.
The food court features a variety of food trucks and vendors serving everything from empanadas to handcrafted specialty lemonades to tacos to pasta to Maine lobster rolls. Visitors can enjoy lunch in the shade of the Harriet Beecher Stowe pavilion while listening to local musicians.
The Easter weekend festival offers opportunities for community members to volunteer and be part of the event.
Email mandarinartfestival@gmail.com or visit mandarinartfestival.org for more information and to join the volunteer notification list.
The event is founded and hosted by the historic Mandarin Community Club, a local nonprofit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to promote and ensure the preservation, beautification and environmental well-being of Mandarin; to provide educational programs and meetings for the club’s membership and the community; to enhance the cultural and recreational life of the citizens of Mandarin and to maintain the historic structures and properties owned by the club.
