--- title: Mayfaire by-the-Lake 2027 description: Juried fine arts festival on Lake Morton in Lakeland, FL; $17,000 in artist awards, $40 application fee. url: https://www.artsume.com/programs/af18e620-aa55-4eb2-bac7-fc2d37b3dd01 type: program status: open createdAt: "2026-10-24" updatedAt: "2026-10-24" programType: Festival/fair organization: Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum organizationUrl: https://www.artsume.com/o/ashley-gibson-barnett-museum deadline: "2027-03-01" entryFee: 40 USD location: Lake Morton, Lakeland, FL, United States isOnline: false compensationRange: "Artist awards totaling $17,000: Best of Show $5,000; 2 Awards of Excellence at $2,000; 4 Awards of Distinction at $1,000; 6 Merit Awards at $500; 5 Honorable Mention Awards at $200." disciplines: - clay - digital art - drawing & graphics - fiber - glass - jewelry - mixed media - music - painting-oil & acrylic - painting-watercolor - photography - sculpture - wood --- # Mayfaire by-the-Lake 2027 **Hosted by:** Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum **Type:** Festival/fair | **Location:** Lake Morton, Lakeland, FL, United States | **Deadline:** March 1, 2027 | **Entry fee:** $40 ## About This Program ### About This Call Mayfaire by-the-Lake is a juried, fine arts festival held on the shores of Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland, Florida. This two-day, free community festival, traditionally held on Mother's Day weekend, is a premier fine arts festival in Florida. Attendance is approximately 10,000 and award money is $17,000. We are celebrating our 55th year and have been voted as one of the Best Fine Art Festivals on the Sunshine Artist 200 List in 2026. Please be sure to read all information. Please be sure your artwork falls into the appropriate category. We are considered a fine art festival and not a craft show. All artwork must be original (one of a kind) and handmade by the applicant. Buy/Sell work is strictly prohibited and may result in removal from the show. ### General information Begun as a crafts fair on the lawn of the Lakeland Public Library, Mayfaire by-the-Lake, coordinated by the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum (AGB) at Florida Southern College, has grown into one of Florida's premier outdoor art festivals. Held on Mother's Day weekend each year, Mayfaire is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland, Florida. Artists set up on the grass on one side of the lake only. Mayfaire is one of the largest and oldest outdoor art festivals in Central Florida. Submit your application online at Zapplication.org and pay the non refundable $40 administration fee. A panel of five experienced jurors selects the artists to be invited to participate in Mayfaire. Jurying is anonymous and based solely on the images submitted. Highest scores are invited to exhibit. Artists with next highest scores are offered the opportunity to be placed on a wait list. Musicians are juried separately by the Mayfaire Committee by submitting a sample CD and image of their booth. Award Winners are selected by ONE judge and selections are made without regard to category. Judging for all awards will be based on the overall quality of all work shown rather than that of individual pieces. Musicians are not eligible for Show Awards. ### Artist awards - Best of Show $5,000 - Awards of Excellence 2 @ $2,000 - Awards of Distinction 4 @ $1,000 - Merit Awards 6 @ $500 - Honorable Mention Awards 5 @ $200 ### Artist amenities - Free web link at Mayfaire by-the-Lake website with artist gallery - Extensive regional media coverage - Social media coverage - Drive-thru check-in on Friday - Easy curb-side loading and unloading - Complimentary coffee on Saturday and Sunday - Complimentary breakfast on Saturday morning - Complimentary snacks and beverages provided - Booth sitting available by volunteers - Nighttime security - Discounted hotel stays (while supplies last) ### Media categories accepted - Clay - Digital Art - Drawing & Graphics - Fiber - Glass - Jewelry (Jewelry may be sold ONLY by artist juried in the jewelry category) - Mixed Media - Music (Sample CD mailed to Mayfaire Coordinators) - Painting-Oil & Acrylic - Painting-Watercolor - Photography - Sculpture - Wood (Food products and live plants are not a permitted category and should not apply.) ### Rules and regulations Mayfaire is open to fine artists displaying their own original work. No agents or dealers allowed. This show is not for commercial dealers. Only one medium category per booth space is allowed. Buy/sell artwork strictly prohibited. Artists are permitted to display only their own work in each space. A "two-person team" may share a space if their work is a joint effort. Such work will be judged as a single entry. Artists may apply for more than one category, but a separate application must be completed for each category. Each application must include an administration fee and its own set of images. Artists must provide and be responsible for their own tents, equipment, display racks, tables, chairs, etc. Staking anything into the ground or tying tents to trees, poles, or other City property is not allowed anywhere in Lake Morton Park or on the street, as major utility lines run underneath the lakeshore ground. Artists must be physically present during the entire show and the booth staffed at all times. No proxy or stand-in exhibitors will be permitted. Show times are 9AM - 4PM. All artists are responsible for collecting Florida Sales Tax, 7%, on all sales during the festival and must fulfill reporting requirements for the Florida Department of Revenue. ### Reproductions policy Only original works are eligible for judging. All reproductions whether framed or unframed must be clearly and individually labeled "REPRODUCTION" or "LIMITED EDITION REPRODUCTION," and must be signed and numbered. Framed reproductions may be displayed in browse bins and/or hung on ONE wall of the booth, not to exceed 10 linear feet. All unframed reproductions must be displayed in bins. Commercial items, "buy/sell," or work from kits are strictly prohibited. ### Booth information and fees Single booth: $425.00 (minimum size: 12' X 10') Double booth (limited availability): $850 Single premium booth: $475.00 (minimum size: 12'x10'), located in the center of the show No electricity or water hookup is available. There is drive-thru check-in on Friday and easy curbside loading and unloading. Booths may not be set up any earlier than 11:00 a.m. on Friday. ### Refund and cancellation policy There is a strict no refund policy for the administration/application fee. A $390 Single/$440 Premier refund per space cancellation refund will be given to exhibitors if they can be replaced by an artist on the wait list. Refund requests must be emailed to mayfaire@agbmuseum.org by April 10, 2027. ### Jury details Average number of applications submitted each year: 250. Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate: 145. Average number of exempt-from-jury artists invited: 17. Jurors score applications on a 1-7 scale, with 5 jurors scoring a single jury panel covering all medium categories, separately from various locations. The jury process is closed. ## Eligibility & Requirements - **Disciplines:** clay, digital art, drawing & graphics, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, music, painting-oil & acrylic, painting-watercolor, photography, sculpture, wood - **Note:** Mayfaire is open to fine artists displaying their own original, one-of-a-kind, handmade work. No agents or dealers allowed; this show is not for commercial dealers. Buy/sell artwork is strictly prohibited. Musicians are juried separately by the Mayfaire Committee and are not eligible for Show Awards. Artists must be physically present during the entire show with the booth staffed at all times; no proxy or stand-in exhibitors are permitted. If an artist received an award in the 2026 Mayfaire by-the-Lake, they are automatically accepted into the show under the same category. ### Additional Requirements - 4 images of work, a booth shot required - Application fee (jury fee): $40.00, non-refundable - Up to 2 applications may be submitted for this show (one per category) ## Compensation & Benefits Artist awards totaling $17,000: Best of Show $5,000; 2 Awards of Excellence at $2,000; 4 Awards of Distinction at $1,000; 6 Merit Awards at $500; 5 Honorable Mention Awards at $200. **Includes:** Prize Award Winners are selected by ONE judge, without regard to category, based on the overall quality of all work shown rather than individual pieces. Only original, one-of-a-kind works made by the artist/applicant are eligible for judging. Musicians are not eligible for Show Awards. ## Timeline - **Opens:** October 24, 2026 - **Deadline:** March 1, 2027 ## Contact **Email:** mayfaire@agbmuseum.org **Phone:** 863-210-5975 ## How to Apply Apply at: https://www.zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=14938