Arts In The Plaza

What Arts In The Plaza does

Arts In The Plaza is a private, community-operated weekly outdoor arts market located at Kennedy Plaza in Long Beach, New York. Founded in 2010 as a collaboration among three local non-profit art organizations — Artists in Partnership, West End Arts Visual Artists Guild, and Long Beach Art League — the market operates Saturdays from 9am to 2pm between Memorial Day weekend and Halloween, featuring approximately 30+ handcrafted-art vendors across categories including jewelry, pottery, painting, photography, woodwork, clothing, and home decor, complemented by live music performances curated by Music Director Benjamin Metzger. The organization enforces a strict handcrafted-only curation policy and maintains a $500 annual vendor fee explicitly framed as accessible rather than revenue-maximizing.

The organization is led by Director Sammi Metzger and Music Director Benjamin Metzger, supported by roughly five personnel including volunteer staff, with no equity funding, parent company, or formal corporate structure. Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) the $500 annual vendor participation fee, collected via the ConventionForce-powered Vendor Portal, and (2) a three-tier local sponsorship program ($500 Festival, $1,500 Premier, $5,000 Platinum) with local businesses such as Bright Eye Beer Co. and Blacksmith's Breads. The market runs in parallel with the adjacent Long Beach farmers market, creating a combined weekend destination, and marketing is conducted primarily through the organization's website, Facebook page, email communications, and earned local media coverage.

Technically, Arts In The Plaza operates without proprietary platform infrastructure, relying on the ConventionForce vendor management portal, a Squarespace-style website, and standard social media and email tools. There is no e-commerce, mobile application, or AI/ML capability. The product surface is fundamentally physical: a curated weekend event defined by booth allocation, artist curation, and on-site programming, with a small complementary digital layer (artist directory, live music calendar, shopper guide) that supports discovery but does not itself generate revenue.

Name

Arts In The Plaza

Website

https://artsintheplaza.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arts In The Plaza is a private, community-operated weekly outdoor arts market in Long Beach, NY, featuring 30+ handcrafted-art vendors and live music each Saturday from May through October, funded by $500 vendor fees and local business sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts Market

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG), Local Community & Multi-Category Fairs (MPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Weekly arts market
• Handcrafted art fair
• Live music events
• Artisan vendor market
• Outdoor art festival

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vendor Fees: Annual vendor fee of $500 for artists to participate in the market. Vendors must also maintain membership in one of the three sponsoring art organizations.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Local businesses and organizations sponsor the event at various tiers: Festival Sponsor ($500), Premier Sponsor ($1,500), and Platinum Sponsor ($5,000). Sponsors receive recognition and promotional benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arts In The Plaza is a weekly Saturday outdoor arts market held at Kennedy Plaza in Long Beach, NY, featuring handcrafted art from 30+ Long Island artists and live music performances, running seasonally from late May through late October (2026 season: May 23 – October 24), 9am to 2pm. Vendors operate 10'x10' booth spaces on a first-come, first-served basis, pay a $500 annual vendor fee, and must be members of one of three sponsoring art organizations (Artists in Partnership, West End Arts Visual Artists Guild, Long Beach Art League).

Product overview

Arts In The Plaza is a single, unified community arts festival product—a weekly outdoor market that operates as Long Beach, NY's arts market. The core offering consists of the Weekly Arts Market itself, which is enhanced by a Live Music Calendar featuring local performers and an Artist Directory listing participating vendors. The organization provides a Vendor Portal for operational management of artist applications and fee collection. The product is not a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather an event-focused service with several complementary informational and operational components, all centered around the weekly Saturday market at Kennedy Plaza.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekly Arts Market Weekly outdoor arts market held every Saturday from 9am to 2pm at Kennedy Plaza, 1 W Chester St, Long Beach, NY, featuring 30+ handcrafted-art vendors and live music, operating seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through Halloween (2026 season: May 23 – October 24). Booth spaces are 10'x10' on a first-come, first-served basis with setup from 7am-9am; vendors must be members of one of three sponsoring art organizations and pay a $500 annual vendor fee. Designed for local Long Island artists to sell handcrafted work directly to consumers and for community members and visitors to attend.
• Live Music Calendar Curated online calendar of musical performances by local Long Island musicians scheduled at the weekly arts market, with performances typically at 10am and 11:30am during the 9am-2pm market hours. Includes solo artists, bands, and music groups such as the Long Beach Ukulele Orchestra, with the Realize Harmony Stage providing a dedicated performance space for musicians prior to the main stage. Designed for musicians seeking performance venues and audience exposure, and for visitors looking to plan attendance around specific acts.
• Vendor Portal Web-based portal powered by ConventionForce that allows artists and vendors to apply for the 2026 market season, manage their vendor accounts, and pay the $500 annual booth fee once approved. The 2026 Artist Application is hosted at https://portal.conventionforce.com/index.cfm?aid=662. Designed for prospective and approved Long Island handcrafted-art vendors.
• Artist Directory Online directory of participating artists and artisans who vend at the weekly market, listing more than 30 vendors across various mediums including jewelry, pottery, photography, painting, drawing, wood, glass, mixed media, clothing, accessories, and home decor. Designed for market visitors who want to look up or contact a specific artist after visiting the market.
• Sponsorship Program Three-tier event sponsorship program for local businesses and organizations: Festival Sponsor ($500), Premier Sponsor ($1,500), and Platinum Sponsor ($5,000). Sponsors receive recognition and promotional benefits at the weekly arts market. Designed for local Long Beach and Long Island businesses seeking community-facing brand visibility and association with the arts market.

Quantifiable outcome

• The market has operated continuously since 2010, demonstrating long-term sustainability and community support.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Artists in PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA non-profit 501(c)(3) cultural arts organization and one of three founding art groups behind Arts In The Plaza. Their mission is to foster partnership between literary, visual, performing artists and the community. They help recruit vendors and provide organizational support for the market.
• West End Arts Visual Artists GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(3) non-profit visual arts organization representing 2D and 3D visual artists in Long Beach. One of three founding art groups that collaborate to operate Arts In The Plaza.
• Long Beach Art LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1952, this organization has grown into a paid membership of diversified artists and photographers. One of the three founding art organizations behind Arts In The Plaza, contributing professional to newly discovered artists.
• Bright Eye Beer Co.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmall, independent, family-owned production brewery and taproom in Long Beach. Sponsors the event and provides a 'friendly third place' atmosphere aligning with community values.
• Blacksmith's BreadsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity-focused micro bakery café located at 870 W. Beech St Long Beach. Founded by chefs Raymond Smith and Michael Blackburn. Provides sponsorship support.
• City of Long Beach, NYcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe city provides the Kennedy Plaza venue for the market. Population of about 35,000 spread across two square miles. Essential partner providing access to public space for the weekly event.
• Realize HarmonycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoutique production house for art, music and ideas that created the Realize Harmony Stage to offer musicians a place to perform prior to the main stage at Arts In The Plaza. Founded by Allan Fox in 2020 and continued by his wife Ilene Fox after his passing in 2021.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sugarloaf Craft Festivals: Operates a circuit of juried arts and crafts festivals across the Northeast featuring handmade work from independent artists. Comparable event format targeting artisan vendors and weekend visitors in regional markets.
• Renegade Craft Fair: Traveling juried fair circuit showcasing independent makers across categories like jewelry, ceramics, and home goods. Closely matches Arts In The Plaza's handcrafted-only vendor standards and curated quality bar.
• Brooklyn Flea: Long-running weekend curated market in NYC aggregating vintage, handmade crafts, and food vendors. Comparable weekly community marketplace structure serving artisan vendors and weekend foot traffic.
• Artists & Fleas: Operates recurring curated markets in NYC featuring independent makers, designers, and artists selling handmade goods directly to consumers. Most directly comparable to Arts In The Plaza in format, vendor curation model, and recurring weekend cadence.
• Grand Bazaar NYC: NYC's largest curated weekly market, featuring hundreds of independent artisans, designers, and vintage collectors every weekend. Comparable curated weekend artisan market model operating in an outdoor urban setting.

Broad incumbents

• Etsy: Dominant online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods, serving the same artisan vendor base Arts In The Plaza attracts but in a digital, year-round, global format. Represents both the broader handmade category and an alternative channel for the company's vendor pool.
• American Craft Council (shows): Operates a portfolio of juried craft shows across major US cities focused on fine handcrafted work. Comparable in emphasizing quality curation and handcrafted exclusivity, though at a larger and more institutional scale.

Regional players

• LIC Flea & Food: Weekend outdoor market in Long Island City, NY featuring local makers, vintage, art, and food vendors. Operates on a similar weekly cadence in a New York metropolitan outdoor public space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLOCZuK30nciH1VJUQAl6sZhB8GqeaBRxc
• Facebookfacebook.com/artsintheplaza1
• Instagraminstagram.com/artsintheplaza1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-in-the-plaza

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arts In The Plaza