2013 Ann Arbor Art Fair facts: parking, hours, map and more

• Full coverage of the Ann Arbor Art Fair

The Ann Arbor Art Fair is actually four fairs, but one big event:

• The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair is located in the streets surrounding Burton Carillon Tower at North University and East Washington connected by Ingalls Mall.

• The State Street Area Art Fair is located on State Street, North University, East Liberty, Maynard and William.

• The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair has two locations, on Main Street and Liberty plus on State Street (from William to Madison).

• Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair fills out the entire South University Avenue area and extends to State Street.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 through Friday, July 19; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 20. For visitor information call 1-800-888-9487 or visit TheAnnArborArtFair.com.

Traveling to the fair by shuttle: Air-conditioned park-and-ride shuttles run from four different locations. Shuttle service hours are Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Shuttles run every 10-15 minutes.

This year's new, north side shuttle stop at Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Rd., offers 2 different drop-off points: Fletcher and Washington, or South University and Forest. Parking is free, and the round-trip cost is $3. Children 5 and younger ride free.

The Trinity Westside Art Fair Park & Ride Shuttle will pick up passengers from The Maple Village Shopping Center (155 N. Maple Road) at Jackson and Maple Roads, just off M-14. Parking is free, and the round-trip cost is $3. Children 5 and younger ride free. The shuttle stops at Washington and Main, and at Washington and State.

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's TheRide will continue to pick up passengers from Pioneer High School, at 601 W. Stadium Blvd., and Briarwood Mall (near Sears) on State and Eisenhower. Parking is free, and the shuttle fare is $3 round trip, or $1.50 one-way for adults; $.75 one-way for students and AATA Fare Deal cardholders; and seniors, A-Ride cardholders and children 5 and younger ride free. The Main Street route will drop riders off in downtown Ann Arbor, at Main and William, while the South University route will drop off passengers near State St. Buses return to both parking locations from either shuttle bus stop.

Parking and traffic: If the shuttle isn't your thing, know that you're facing lots of congestion and slow traffic. Check out conditions online using the Google traffic map for Ann Arbor.

Many downtown streets will be closed, including Main Street; see the PDF map linked to below (all blocks shown in color will be closed). Closures start Tuesday morning for setup.

City parking structures, which often fill quickly, will have all-day rates, and U-M parking decks will have evening and weekend parking. (Visitors may also try the library lot, with entrances on S. Division and Fifth Ave., which is open for business during Art Fair.) Rates are $12 per day, $6 after 5 p.m. Of course, organizations and private entrepreneurs will offer parking throughout the central city at varying rates; in general, the closer you are, the more you'll pay.

Special parking hints: The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has a system for keeping track of available parking spaces in all the downtown parking structures. Use it online or by phone at 734-761-9477. You may also reserve an all-day parking spot in one of the downtown Republic Parking structures in advance via the Park n Party website.

Bus detours: Regular Ann Arbor Transportation Authority bus schedules will be affected by the fairs. Full details on the AATA website.

The coolest way to fair-hop: Renovated, air-conditioned A2 Art Trolleys will travel a loop between all four art fairs (with 8 stops) and run from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Trolley rides cost $1 per person per day (riders will get wristbands).

Wheelchairs/walkers:Wright & Filippis will provide wheelchairs on Main at William or State Street at Madison. For complete information, or to make a reservation, call 734-975-6800. University of Michigan Health System's Home Care Services will also provide wheelchairs. For info, call 734-975-3077 or send a message to wsiembor@umich.edu.

Weather: The Ann Arbor Art Fair is known for heat and, often, a nasty thunderstorm or two. Keep on top of conditions and forecasts with the AnnArbor.com weather page.

Art Fair app: A free iPhone application is available via Apple’s iTunes store. It was developed by Southfield-based jacAPPS and includes an interactive map of the fair (with geo-location, so users can see their current location in relationship to specific artists), with information about local businesses; AAAF events; the trolley; food; information booths; music stages; parking; and a comprehensive list of artists, with sample images of their work.

Food and drink: A variety of food options are available at the fairs' food courts, located on Liberty Street west of Main; on Ingalls Mall outside the Michigan League; and at the Michigan Union, South State Street at South University Avenue.

The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., will be open from noon-8 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday and noon-6 p.m. on Saturday for fairgoers looking for a cool seat and a bite to eat. Grilled bratwurst and hot dogs, signature Michigan Theater popcorn, soft drinks, and bottled water will be available for purchase, as well as beer and wine for customers with valid ID (no membership needed). Guests can choose to enjoy their snacks at tables in the air-conditioned Grand Foyer or on patio seating in front of the theater.

In addition, many restaurants will be serving outside their establishments.

For the kids: The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, The Original will host the Art Activity Zone, with hands-on projects for adults and children, on Ingalls Mall off Washington St. between Thayer and Fletcher, Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Other Activities: Safari Adventures will be on-site at the Kalahari Resorts booth on State Street at South University for wildlife visits on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Cooling off: Kalahari Resorts and Conventions presents a misting station, on State St. at South University, highlighting water features found in Africa and translated at the Kalahari Resorts and Convention Centers in Sandusky. Stop by, cool down and view the beautiful display.

Test drive: Stop by the Chrysler display on Church St. to test drive a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500, Dodge Dart, Chrysler 300S, or Fiat 500L. Test drive the RAM 1500 and you can ‘Listen and Win’ some great prizes.

Entertainment schedules: There are three full-blown stages for live entertainment: The Fountain Stage located at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, at Ingalls Mall; Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair will host the 107.1 Main Stage, at Church and Willard streets; and the The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair’s iSPY Magazine performance stage will be on Liberty, between Main and Ashley. Full schedules available in a separate article.

Art-in-the-making: Artist demonstrations take place at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair in a tent under the big oaks on North University; and more demonstrations take place at Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair, Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair and the State Street Area Art Fair. And look for the emerging artists areas in the South University Art Fair and the "New Art, New Artists" tent at the Street Art Fair, The Original, plus the Arts League of Michigan, an artist mentorship program, on State Street in the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair.

Ann Arbor Art Fair map and guide to download: Download the official Art Fair map here: A2artfairmap2013.pdf

Dowload the full Art Fair guide listing all artists at the Ann Arbor Area CVB website.