Enormous smoked turkey legs, fresh-squeezed lemonade, live music, nationally recognized artists and more than 20,000 smiling people -  all hanging out next to one of the most beautiful mountain streams anywhere.

That’s what I think of when I picture Spearfish’s Festival in the Park – one of my favorite annual events in the Black Hills! And the 2010 event is happening this weekend, July 16-18.

Festival in the Park is one of the largest outdoor summer arts festivals in the upper Midwest. Always held the third weekend in July – in Spearfish City Park – it attracts more than 200 fine art, craft and food vendors for the three-day event. And those are only the vendors that are selected to participate.

You see, Festival in the Park is a juried exhibition. That means many more artists and vendors apply to be part of the event – but are carefully screened out beforehand by a local committee, to ensure that a unique cross-section of the ‘best of the best’ are represented.

Artisans from across the U.S. clamor to be part of the Spearfish Festival in the Park every year because they know that it’s one of the greatest events of its kind – fantastic scenery, friendly people and professionally organized by the Spearfish Center for the Arts and Humanities.

There are some really cool artists and products that will be available this year too: from handcrafted clocks to homemade jalapeno jelly; from oak furniture to original watercolor paintings.

The artists are incredible, but there’s much more to Festival in the Park than that. The young and the young-at-heart float down refreshing Spearfish Creek on inner tubes and the older generations people-watch from the shade of the cottonwood trees. Local and regional performers put on free shows at the band shell and in the beer garden all weekend long.

Children’s events include: puppet shows, chalk art contests and a toy boat-building and racing event.

Friday evening events are considered the sneak preview fundraiser portion of Festival in the Park. A $5 wristband, available at the gate, is required to enter the entertainment and vendor areas on Friday night. All day Saturday and Sunday, the festival and events are FREE for all visitors.

For a full schedule of events and more details about the festival, click HERE.

Spearfish Festival in the Park really is one of my favorite events of the summer and I’ll probably be there both Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday. I’ll be the one with a giant turkey leg and a cheek-puckering lemonade in hand – be sure to say hi!