Art Hop returns to downtown Port Huron with more than 40 artists featured

What’s happening: You never know what kind of weather you’re going to get in Michigan come mid-May. Winter, spring, summer, and fall, it’s all possible in a Michigan May — and sometimes you get all four in the same day. Fortunately for the organizers of this spring’s Art Hop street festival, the weather forecasted for downtown Port Huron this Friday, May 13, is decidedly street festival-friendly. At 80 degrees and sunny, conditions are ideal for supporting the region’s artists, makers, and small businesses. The Port Huron Art Hop is officially scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. this Friday, May 13.

What it is: The street festival so nice that they do it twice, the Port Huron Art Hop occurs each spring and fall and marries local artists with downtown Port Huron businesses, offering festival-goers the chance to support both local artists and entrepreneurs alike. More than 40 artists will be featured at this year’s festival, spread across nearly as many businesses. Much of the Art Hop footprint overlaps with downtown’s social district, meaning that festival-goers can purchase alcoholic beverages from participating bars and restaurants and take them for a stroll.

The artists: Local artists will be showcasing their works and some even offering live demos and hands-on experiences. Of the many mediums featured, they include everything from oil paintings to custom t-shirts, driftwood art, and macrame. Highlights among the interactive exhibits include stained glass demos and Oh, Splat paint throwing mini-sessions at Foundry.



Additional events: Some local organizations are going the extra mile (and sometimes quite literally) when it comes to Friday’s Art Hop activities, including Port Huron Museums and its downtown walking tour, a one-mile walking tour of downtown Port Huron. Led by Andrew Kercher, community engagement manager for Port Huron Museums, the walking tour will feature the history of local buildings, businesses, and people of downtown.

The Carnegie Museum will also extend its hours until 8 p.m. to feature their Perspectives art exhibit, which features the work of local artists created throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Everyone agrees that the last two years have been turbulent and out of the ordinary for everyone, but times of struggle can inspire great artistic endeavors,” Kercher said at the beginning of the submissions process.