Labor Day may mean family trips and end-of-summer picnics for some, but for dozens of artists across the country, Labor Day weekend means just one thing: a trip to Lancaster County and the Long's Park Art & Craft Festival.
For Washington state artist Hulda Bridgeman, the Long's Park show is worth the cross-country trek.
"I've been practicing my craft since 1993, so I have a pretty good idea of what makes a good show," Bridgeman said in a telephone interview from her home in Spokane, Wash. "The Lancaster show draws a knowledgeable public from places like Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington, D.C., and New York. Sales are good, and the ambience in the park is just wonderful. Everyone enjoys coming out to look at the art, and this event draws customers both young and old."
Bridgeman's muse isn't canvas or clay, but clothing — specifically, hand-dyed silk clothing. With tucked, textured surfaces and rich weaves, her original handmade silk jackets are in demand on both the East and West coasts.
"I'm very lucky in that I get to work in what I love," Bridgeman said. "That also means I get to travel to places like Boston, San Francisco and Atlanta. ... And without a doubt, the Lancaster event is one of the best around.
"It's a great show, and folks should come out and take a look at some of the wonderful art happening in the United States today."
Donna Reinaker, the festival's artistic director, said the event draws, on average, 20,000 visitors over the course of the weekend. The festival regularly rates among the nation's best, as determined by the Harris List, an industry publication that ranks the top 120 craft shows. The Long's Park show, which opens Friday and runs through Labor Day, is considered the best in the Northeast. It is the primary fundraiser for the Long's Park Summer Entertainment Series, which provides 13 weeks of free Sunday evening concerts at the park's amphitheater.
The festival attracts some of the finest goldsmiths, silversmiths and ceramic artists, as well as painters, glass blowers, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, leather artists, basket weavers and papermakers. About one-third of the 200 artists exhibiting their works this year are new to the show.
Reinaker said one of the secrets to the festival's success is that it offers a wide variety of goods in a broad price range.
"This show is for everyone interested in art, so it's important to have good and inexpensive things," Reinaker said. "It's important to have pieces so young people can start off their collections early. ... People have different priorities these days, so not everyone is in the market to buy original art costing hundreds or thousands of dollars."
As usual, the festival's outdoor bistro will be serving up food from some of the region's finest restaurants and caterers. New this year is a wine and craft-beer tasting from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday. The cost is $5. Tamanend wines and Iron Hill Brewery beers will be on sale at the bistro and elsewhere in the park during the show.
"Of course, we're also making sure to have great things for the little ones, so children can come by the Kids' Tent to do things like make macaroni necklaces or paint with watercolors," said festival managing director Amy Marberger. "It's the kind of activity that's designed for the whole family to enjoy."
The 29th annual Long's Park Art & Craft Festival opens Friday at Long's Park, Route 30 and Harrisburg Pike. The show runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday (Labor Day). There will be a special champagne breakfast fundraiser at 8 a.m. Friday, with a gourmet breakfast catered by the Olde Greenfield Inn. Tickets cost $100 apiece or $150 for two and include preferred parking and a half-hour of shopping at the show before it opens to the public, as well as weekend-long admission to the show.
Multiday general admission tickets cost $12, and one-day tickets cost $10. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Discounted tickets are available online through Tuesday at www.longspark.org. For more information, call 735-8883. 
