Hayden Jones, left, 5, Kylie Jones, center, 2, and Alex Welch, 6, paint rocks at the children’s area of the Bethel Art and Music Festival May 12. The children’s area featured a variety of crafts and was located near the playground at Burke Park.

Hayden Jones, left, 5, Kylie Jones, center, 2, and Alex Welch, 6, paint rocks at the children’s area of the Bethel Art and Music Festival May 12. The children’s area featured a variety of crafts and was located near the playground at Burke Park.
The Bethel Art and Music Festival attracted residents from across Clermont County May 12.

The annual event featured a variety of arts and craft vendors, music and entertainment at Burke Park in the village of Bethel.

“I think it went really well,” Judi Adams, BAM Fest committee chairman, said. “I think a lot of people came out because the weather was good, it was a nice day and people wanted to be out walking around.”

Adams said the festival was moved to Burke Park and started later this year after committee members received suggestions from local vendors who attended the event last year.

Vendors originally set up shop on Main Street, but many wanted more room to spread out and also wanted more amenities.

“For the most part I think it worked out well in the park,” Adams said. “I had so many people say it was much better, but I think we still need something on the main street.”

Holli Hearn, a first-time vendor at the event, said she passed the event on Main Street the first year it was held. This year she decided to feature her jewelry at the festival and said she liked that it was moved to the park.

“It makes it a little more friendly and cozy,” Hearn said.

Adams said twice the number of vendors participated in the festival this year, and they were able to display and sell their products which included jewelry, pottery, garden baskets, paintings and more.

“This is a fantastic,” Bizzy Robertson, a vendor, said about the festival. “This event really has grown. I jumped on the bandwagon.”

Robertson, who owns Bizzy Hands Art Studio, had a booth set up in the children’s area, which was near the playground in Burke Park.

Adams said it was nice to have the children’s area in the park, and there were variety of children’s activities including Mother’s Day crafts, painting and more.

“It’s amazing how much fun the kids had,” Adams said. “We had so many more kids with it being right there by the playground.”

Artists and food vendors were scattered throughout the park, and guests who came to the festival were able to walk around the park to browse the booths. Musicians also played on two stages in the park throughout the day.

“I’ve loved it,” Nancy Shula, of Bethel, said about the festival. “It is a nice way for the community to get together.”

Amanda Heitmeyer, of Bethel, said she walked down to Burke Park with her son J.J. to check everything out.

“It’s something fun to do,” Heitmeyer said. “There are all kinds of cool crafts.”

In addition to the arts and crafts vendors, there was also a model airplane demonstration this year as well as a headline performance by Hot Wax, a Las Vegas style show group that plays 1950s and 1960s music.

The Hot Wax Show was the conclusion of the event and Adams said they had around 400 people at the show.

“That was the first time we had a big headliner band and people really responded to it,” Adams said. “It was a nice wrap up to the day and it kind of gave everybody a chance to sit and relax and enjoy it.”

Adams said now that the event is over, BAM Fest committee members are already working to improve the festival for next year.

“I’ve been working on a letter that will go out to all the vendors to get their feedback,” Adams said. “If you don’t have the artists, food vendors and music it’s not going to be an event.”

Adams said the weather definitely helped the turnout at the event this year, and because it is an outdoor event, she said they should really come up with a rain date each year, especially if they continue to hold the event at Burke Park.

She said they are also looking at spreading out the craft area in the park next year and possibly putting something back out on Main Street to draw the attention of passersby.

“You learn from every event,” Adams said. “You take the good and make it better and take the bad and make it good.”

For more information about the Bethel Art and Music Festival visit www.bethelohevents.com.