Dahlonega's Historic Public Square will be alive with activity the third weekend in April as the 17th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival will fill the area with Artist Marketplace exhibitors as well as the jammers who gather in groups throughout the downtown area to enjoy playing bluegrass and old-time music.

The Artist Marketplace, a juried event, will be comprised of a remarkable collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade arts and crafts from some of the Southern Appalachian region's top artists. Open on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sunday, April 21, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine, the market will have booths containing the work of some 45 Marketplace artists, of whom 15 are new to the Bear festival. Featured artists, some of whom will be demonstrating their talent, will display pottery, fiber crafts, wood crafts, jewelry, painting, drawing and photography, multi-media, metal crafts and musical instruments. Among the folk artists this year will be noted area resident Billy Roper, the festival's Heritage Sponsor.

The Country Store, which will be located in Hancock Park this year, will offer for sale such items as bread, honey, gourmet products, cookies, herbal products, beauty, bath and body products, jellies and plants. The Georgia Mountain Hand Spinners will also have a tent in the park.

Around the Square - The Marketplace

Pottery

Etowah River Pottery  -  www.etowahriverpottery.com

Laurey-faye Long - Balsam Mountain Pottery

Janice Hall and Pat Shields   www.georgiamudcatspottery.com

Ed and Pat Siler - Back Creek Clay  www.etsy.com/shop/backcreekclay

Rex Hogan/Susanne Reese  www.southernfiredpottery.com  NEW

Wood crafts

Tom Henry - Whirligigs

JVS Rustic Birdhouses  Rustic Birdhouses

David Little  Carved Bowls

Jack and Kathy Mullarkey - www.thewoodscrollers.com

Les Smith - Carved Walking Sticks - www.thestickery.com

Skip Staab - Furniture maker  -  www.skipsrusticfurniture.com

Fred Warshofsky - Turned and carved Bowls  www.bowlarts.com

Jim Watts - Rocking Chairs  www.grannyrockers.com

John Adams- Broom Making  NEW

Britt Buffington- Furniture  www.bmbbydesign.com  NEW

Fiber Crafts

Nan Hancock - Quilter

Nazare Hoffpauir - Crochet

Susan Crowe & Lynda Pollard  Cross Stitching & Knitting  NEW

Joann Smith- Knitting and Crochet

Rena Wilkins- Crocheted Rugs  NEW 

Metal Crafts

Denny Maloney-Copper Enameling  www.artrageousfolk.com  NEW

Jewelry

William Gridley - Argyle Gifts - www.argyle-gifts.com

Lee Johnson -  www.leejohnsonart.blogspot.com

Brenda Steele - Beads by Brenda

Painting, Drawing and Photography

Billy Roper- folk art painting  www.billyroperart.net

Patricia Adams - Photography  www.pattisgallery.zenfolio.com

Patsy Kline - Watercolor

Chris McLaughlin - Drawing  www.chrisdraws.com

Robert Perry - Folk Art  www.dogwoodfolkart.com

Ronald Moore - Folk Art

Kay Edenfield- Painting  www.misskayart.com

Danny Young- Photography - www.youngphotography.smugmug.com  NEW

Jeffery Lerner- Folk Art Painting  www.jeffreelernerart.com

Alan Young- Painting  www.alanryoung.com  NEW

Multi-media

Tom Keran - Leather art

Tom Slavicek - Leather  NEW

Tim and Karen Chambers - TKC - Folk Art and Gourds - www.tkchighlands.com

Kerry Marsh- Flint Knapping  NEW

Judy and Rich Sternisa - JR Designs - Stained Glass and Fused Glass Jewelry

Spectrum - Multi media- North Georgia Art Club

Weekend Gold Miners

Musical Instruments

Ken and Virginia Miller - Guitars and other hand-made instruments - www.kenmillerguitars.com

David English Black Owl Guitars- www.blackowlguitars.com  NEW

Kenneth King- Picksticks  www.kenspickstick.com

The Country Store at Hancock Park  

My Daily Bread  - www.mydailybread.vpweb.com

Small Batch Garden  www.smallbatchgarden.com  NEW

Billie Patton-The Beeline-Honey

Kathy Senft - Jellies - www.onescrewloose.com

Thistle Ridge Soap, LTD  www.thistleridgesoap.com  NEW

Rapid Gourmet  -   www.rapidgourmetonline.com  NEW

Stacy Kennedy - Bath and Body - www.circlethirteen.net

Charles & Linda Purcell-Body Essentials LLC  www.bebodyessentials.com  NEW

The Chattanooga Cookie Company  -  www.chattcookies.com  NEW

Heartsease Nursery  website

Georgia Mountain Hand Spinners