Nearly 200 artists will set up along five blocks of downtown Bethesda on Sept. 12–13 for the 28th annual Bethesda Row Arts Festival, a free outdoor show that organizers expect will draw more than 30,000 visitors.

The festival transforms Woodmont and Bethesda avenues, Elm Street and Bethesda Lane into an open-air gallery where artists sell original work across 16 disciplines, from ceramics and hand-forged metalwork to glass, printmaking, photography and sculpture. Seventy of this year's artists are new to the event, and nearly a quarter of participants live within an hour of Bethesda.

Among the local exhibitors: Chevy Chase oil and acrylic painter Jack Hornady, Gaithersburg ceramicist Iris Grundler, Cockeysville metalworker Henry Hyde and Adamstown jeweler Elisabeth Arzt, according to the festival's website.

Artists are selected through a juried process and compete for cash prizes of up to $2,000. Art Fair Sourcebook has ranked the Bethesda Row Arts Festival among the top 30 fine art shows in the country.

Festival director Jon Gann said the event gives visitors a chance to connect directly with creators. "Come meet the artist behind the art that inspires you," Gann said in a statement reported by MoCo Show.

The festival runs rain or shine. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13. Admission is free and the event is family-friendly. Bethesda Row is accessible by Metro, bus, car and the Capital Crescent Trail.

Upcoming Bethesda events