Right: Debra Ozello

Travel the world over and you would be hard-pressed to find a more spectacular gathering of artists than at the Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival. These nationally acclaimed, juried fine art festivals attract artists and art collectors from throughout the United States and abroad, all sharing in their love and appreciation for magnificent fine art.

Carefree is nestled in the high Sonoran Desert five minutes from the Scottsdale border. Massive piles of granite boulders, sharp mountains and an abundance of desert growth surround the area and provide scenes that attract visitors from around the world. The town of Carefree also boasts the claim of the largest sundial in the western hemisphere. This wonderfully unique town provides the perfect backdrop for this celebration of fine art, great wine, live entertainment, gourmet food and much more!

Left: Guilloume

The streets of downtown Carefree are closed, making room for more than 160 artists and in excess of 5,000 original masterpieces of fine art. Artists’ works include small, medium and monumental life-sized bronze sculptures, metal, clay, wood, stone, glass and mixed media sculptures. There is an array of pottery, photography, hand crafted jewelry, batiks and select fine crafts. There is also spectacular oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, watercolors, pastel, charcoal, etchings and mixed media paintings. Subject matter ranges from Southwest and traditional to contemporary and abstract, including floral, wildlife, European, African and Native American art. The festival offers a wide variety of mediums, styles, sizes, subject matters and price range, to ensure
it here is something that will appeal to everyone who attends.
                                                                                           Below: Agnes Rathony

The beautiful backdrop of Carefree, its many splendors and the fantastic art on hand isn’t all the Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival has to offer the thousands of people who attend each year. The festival holds the title of Arizona’s largest wine-tasting event, featuring first-class wines from Arizona, California, Australia, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. Ensuring the festival address each of the senses, delicious food is served by Lariat Grille, of the distinguished Carefree Conference Resort, in addition to many of Carefree’s other restaurants and outdoor cafes.

Live entertainment is a mainstay at all Thunderbird Artists’ events and this festival is no different. This year’s event features the enchanting music of the Trinidad Calypso Band. The band specializes in a mix of traditional Caribbean and American music.

After taking in all the sights and sounds of the festival, make sure and leave yourself time to discover Carefree’s assortment of unique shops, boutiques and galleries.

Whether you are an art collector, an admirer of the arts or just looking for a wonderful experience, the Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival is guaranteed to leave you eagerly looking forward to the next one!