Festival Lights and Art: A Weekend of Makers in Northampton

The summer’s first big arts event arrives in Northampton this Memorial Day weekend, bringing more than 200 creators together under one roof. Visitors can wander through booths that showcase furniture, jewelry, glass art, garden sculptures, ceramics, fashion pieces, and paintings. The three‑day show starts Saturday morning at the Three County Fairgrounds and runs until early Monday, with special concerts in the evenings. One of the highlight artists is Marie Murphy, a jeweler whose work centers on metal and stone. Her journey began with a childhood gift of a turquoise cuff bracelet from her mother, sparking a lifelong love for jewelry. After studying business communications and working in retail, she returned to Boston and studied metalsmithing at night. For twelve years she honed her craft before launching Sliver Raven Studio in Madison, Connecticut. Murphy’s pieces are built from heavy‑gauge silver and feature stones such as jasper, agate, quartz, and turquoise. She says she lets each stone guide the design, creating pieces that are meant to last a lifetime and be passed down. Another featured maker is Kibaek Sung, whose focus lies in functional metal art, especially lamps. A graduate of Seoul National University and Rochester Institute of Technology, Sung has worked with Tiffany & Co. on trophies for major sports leagues while running his own studio in Bellingham, Massachusetts. He starts each lamp by visualizing how it will fill an empty space, then sketches the form and mechanism. Sung’s goal is to make everyday objects engaging—his lamps encourage users to interact with them, turning light on and off by pulling a metal ring.

The festival also welcomes 40 new exhibitors through the “Emerging Artist Collective, ” a program designed to help early‑career artists gain exposure. Attendees can watch live demonstrations, participate in family‑friendly crafts, and enjoy a range of local foods from Filipino street dishes to pizza, chicken tikka masala, and ice cream. Two dining tents host restaurants and food trucks, while a full bar offers craft cocktails, regional wines, local beers, and specialty coffees. Music fills the air throughout the weekend. Local bands and solo acts perform on the main stage, with a headline indie‑pop group opening Saturday night’s concert. A silent auction runs daily, supporting the International Language Institute of Massachusetts with all proceeds donated. Even if rain falls, the event continues inside three spacious exhibition buildings that provide shelter and maintain the festival’s vibrant atmosphere. General admission costs $16, with discounted rates for students and free entry for children under 15. A three‑day pass is available for $24, allowing visitors to experience the full lineup of art, food, and music.

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