I love finding new affordable art by going to art festivals, events, and other shows throughout the year. I also love traveling, but I try to balance the travel and art with a realistic budget.
So, I have developed a personal system where a few times a year I take some time and plan out the next few months of art outings, festivals, and events using internet research, my trusty planner, and of course, my budget.
Because I am on a budget, I stick to places that I can drive to within a day. If the event is 3 hours away or less, I will do a day trip, or a “turn and burn” as I like to call it. If it’s more than a 3-hour drive, I will usually make it a weekend trip.
These events check two boxes for me. I love finding affordable art, and I love traveling. It breaks me out of my routine to travel a little, and I might come home with some new piece of art.
Tools and Apps I Use to Plan Art and Travel Trips
- Paper Planner
- Local Tourism Websites
- Google Maps
- Facebook Events
- TikTok
- Airbnb
Start with Nearby Towns You Already Want to Visit
First, I make a list of all of the nearby towns that I would like to visit in the coming months. I will typically separate them into towns that I can do a day trip to, and towns that would be an overnight or weekend trip. Sometimes I use Google Maps to just search what towns are nearby. A quick Google of types of towns you are interested in is helpful also, for example – “Best Southwest Small Town Festivals”.
Use Tourism Calendars and Event Searches
Start checking the towns event and tourism calendars. For example, Durango, CO is nearby to me and when I google “Durango events” it brings up a few different websites with events listed.
These tourism calendars will probably all have the same events listed, so it won’t matter which one you choose to look at. I found an art festival in Durango in a few weeks, so I added it to the calendar.
I use this same process for each of the towns I have on my list.
Use Social Media to Find Smaller or Hidden Events
The other sources I use to search for affordable art events are social media platforms. Facebook is still the main one I use. It’s so easy to go to the “events” tab, search the town you want to go to, and even narrow it down by type.
Keywords I usually search for are:
- Art festivals
- Art walks
- Galleries
- Pop-ups
- Artisan markets
- Art fairs
Another platform I use most commonly is TikTok. Go to the search bar and type in what kind of event you are looking for, something like “Durango, CO Art festivals”. It’s fun for me to see what other creators have discovered, or maybe even a pop-up gallery or other type of event that’s not advertised to the public.
You can search for affordable art festivals and events on any social media platform you prefer. Pinterest and Instagram are other ones I have used with some success. It just depends on how much research you feel like doing.
Add Events to Your Calendar Immediately
After you find an event you’re interested in, get it on your calendar immediately. I like to use a paper planner where I can see the entire month at a time. Some people are good about using a calendar on their phone. I just like to be able to see the whole month and all the events at once. It helps me plan out if I need/can take time off of work and prioritize which events to attend. Being on a budget, I can only attend a couple of weekend trips a year, so it’s important for me to be able to see all the events easily to make a decision. You may not go to every event, but at least you find all the ones you are interested in and can easily weigh your options now.
I also save everything I find on social media platforms in addition to writing them down, just so that I refer back to them if I need to or show my partner the things I want to do.
How I Decide Which Events Are Worth the Trip
I decide what’s worth attending by having all the events laid out on my calendar, along with my holidays from work, and then deciding what I can swing financially or not. I really try not to take many days off from my normal job, so if I find a weekend event around an extended weekend, that allows me to go without the need for taking time off. It also makes me feel like I’m not “wasting” my long weekend.
Another thing to consider when prioritizing weekend trips is how expensive the accommodation is. If you know someone who lives there and you can stay with them, that’s a huge incentive to spend the weekend there as opposed to another place you have to pay for. If I don’t have someone to stay with, I will usually go with an Airbnb, VRBO, or a Airbnb-style hotel. I just feel that these stays give you a more authentic experience – and I like the option of a kitchen so I can cook a little instead of going out to eat for every meal; you save a little money that way.
I also consider the town itself. How walkable is it? Do they have good food? How about photo opportunities? Are there any other interesting things to do while we are there? If I am going to spend one of my weekend trips out of town, yes, I am going for the art, but I also want to enjoy other aspects of the trip as well.
For the day trip events, the only thing I really need to plan out is the time of day I want to be there, so weather is a consideration for me. I am also kind of a foodie, so deciding if I want to have lunch or dinner at a specific location will help me decide when to go.
Why Art Festivals Became Part of My Travel Style
Mixing art festivals with travel has become my favorite way to begin collecting affordable art. I can take day trips to Durango, CO for festivals, galleries, art walks, or other events. These are easy ways for me to feel like I did something and “got away” from my home base.
When I leave for weekend trips, I try to plan them around art events. For example, I just got back from a long trip to Tucson, AZ, for the gem and mineral show…not an art festival, but I love that kind of thing. I planned a night in Bisbee, AZ because it’s an artsy, eccentric town that I have always wanted to visit. Also, not an art festival, but galleries and street art galore.
You can build meaningful experiences without a huge travel budget. It just takes some time to plan, utilize your time off wisely, stick to a budget, and adjust based on your own personal priorities.
