As summer officially turned to fall over the weekend, an outdoor arts and crafts festival made its annual return to East Memphis.

The 51st Pink Palace Crafts Fair wrapped up its three-day festivities at Audubon Park at 701 Perkins Extended during a slightly cloudy Sunday on Sept. 24. The fair benefits the Museum of Science and History which was formerly called the Pink Palace Museum.

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With nearly 150 participating artists from across the country, artwork — from pottery, jewelry, paintings, woodwork, leatherwork, sculptures and woven goods — were on display. The fair also featured live musical entertainment from artists Gene Micofsky and Bailey Bigger alongside bands such as NightPark, Mudwhisker and Tennessee Screamers.

“We provide a great atmosphere and it helps the local economy while providing a fun event for the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County,” said Pam Dickey, chairwoman of the Pink Palace Crafts Fair.

Children’s entertainment, such as wall climbing, pony rides, the event’s popular train ride and the Happy Times Farm Traveling Petting Zoo, were available for families as well.

Dating back to its 1973 inception, the Pink Palace Crafts Fair has been the pinnacle of the Memphis fall season for more than 50 years. Since its first year, which featured around 30 craftsmen, the fest has developed into the largest juried arts and crafts fair in the Mid-South.

“It’s been interesting to see it (Pink Palace Crafts Fair) change over the years,” Dickey said. “I know it was originally on the grounds of the Pink Palace, and it outgrew that over the years. “

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“I remember hearing stories of the ladies in charge (of the festival) were brought out by the people of the parks department, and they said to them, ‘Here is a big piece of land,’ and ‘Y’all can move out here.’”

Artist couple Dolores and Robert Wells have taken part in the Pink Palace Crafts Fair art show for the past 40 years and have done a variety of display art competitions for the past 55 years as well.

Throughout the years, the two have developed a technique for producing artwork for consumers to judge, peruse and sometimes buy.

“I’ll draw different ideas, and the ones I like, I’ll start making,” Robert Wells said. “The first one takes a long time, but after that, I’ll do the same piece many times until they stop selling.”

This year, the duo won the Pink Palace Crafts Fair’s Best In Show award for their metal creation that was purchased during the weekend.

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“It means a lot,” Dolores Wells said. “It means we have to make another one.”

“We were very pleased with it because this is a big show, and we’ve done it for so long and gotten other awards for it but never Best in Show. It really shocked us yesterday, and we were really proud.”

Among the finished art, there were also tents dedicated to demonstrating how to make a variety of handmade objects, a long-lasting tradition at the festival that Dickey appreciates. 

“The children, the family and the adults can watch them (the demonstrators) make their craft and ask questions,” Pam said.

“I think that's really important to continue these old-timey crafts, so the public knows about it because a lot of them are a dying art.”