By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

MIDWAY, Ky. — Situated in the middle of horse country, Midway has become a common tourist destination known for its quaint shops and excellent restaurants – but long before it was a town, it was a farm owned by Col. John Francisco.

Francisco sold the farm in 1835 to the Lexington and Ohio Railroad, which built the town. Francisco’s name has since become synonymous with one of the best art fairs not only in the Southeast, but in the country.

Francisco’s Farm Art Festival began eight years ago as a Midway Renaissance, Inc. project and has grown to accommodate 130 juried artists and craftspeople. Midway Renaissance is a nonprofit organization that, among other things, promotes activities within the community.

The event has won awards from the Kentucky Tourism Council and the Southeast Tourism Society. Marcie Christensen serves as event coordinator and said the festival has grown dramatically, with artists from across the country.

“They are coming from 16 states, including Texas and Pennsylvania,” she said. “These are all juried artists who do high-quality work. There will be jewelry, ceramic art, paintings, photography, wood furniture and wooden accessories, wearable art, fiber and mixed media.”

While the artwork has been a driving force behind the event, Christensen said it is the value of the many volunteers that has been instrumental in helping the festival become what it is.

“We have about 150 volunteers that will be working at this festival, and they treat the artists so well, establishing a reputation from the first event so the artists tell other artists. A lot of them that apply to the show, do so because they have been told about it by others,” she said.

“The volunteers appreciate the artists and the artists really appreciate the volunteers. It creates an atmosphere where they are happy to be there and it’s kind of a spirit of hospitality that is contagious to the visitors, as well.”
Dan Neil Barnes, a Lexington glass artist exhibiting at Francisco’s Farm for the fifth year, recognizes the efforts of those volunteers.

“I do juried shows from Chicago to Miami, including American Craft Council shows, and have to say the artists are treated better at Francisco’s Farm than at any other festival. There’s a spirit of hospitality here, from the volunteers that really comes through to the artists and visitors,” he said.

Thousands of visitors are expected. Christensen said last year’s festival brought 8,000 spectators, but that number could grow as the art fair, which began on the campus of Midway College, is moving to nearby Equus Run Vineyard. The vineyard hosts a number of events throughout the year.
“I expect we will have more this year partly because of the outreach of the vineyard. Equus Run is an award-winning vineyard in itself,” she said. “They have a wonderful reputation and they have a very broad list of visitors that come from all over and they have promoted the event.”

Christensen said much was taken into consideration when deciding to make the move, including the number of people familiar with the vineyard and the layout of the facility.

“The move to Equus Run will enhance our ability to attract art patrons, expand our opportunities for creative expression and provide broader and more diverse exposure for our corporate sponsors,” she said. “The opportunity to provide an evening concert and the beautiful ambiance of the vineyard will continue to elevate the reputation of the Festival as a show not to be missed.”
The vineyard is just three miles from downtown Midway, where visitors will find a number of extra activities to participate in once they have visited the festival. There will be three entrances to the exhibit area and if overflow parking is needed, golf cart shutter service will be available.

The Francisco’s Farm Art Festival will take place June 25 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and June 26 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $3 per person, with children 12 and under free. Saturday visitors may return on Sunday for free. For more information, visit www.franciscosfarm.org or call 859-846-4049.