The “Jewel of Craft Shows” is nestled into the heart of Boston’s western suburbs, easily accessible from all over New England. This extraordinary selection of artists and makers comes to the city of Marlborough, Massachusetts from every corner of America (and even one artist from Germany!) on the weekend before Thanksgiving. With 175 juried and curated painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, woodworkers, fashion designers, furniture makers and more, make sure you allow enough time to see it all.

The Sculpture Café

The sunlit Sculpture Café is a meeting place, a gallery exhibition area, and a cozy spot to grab a drink or a sweet bite and rest your feet after your first pass through the show. Every afternoon from noon to 4pm music wafts from the café through the entire exhibition hall. Reconnect with your friends at one of the small tables in the Sculpture Café for coffee or a glass of wine, sweet treats, and – best of all – sharing the contents of your shopping bags. 

It’s a great place to people-watch and share photos of work by your favorite Paradise City artists on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. If you’re more in the mood for food that’s savory and substantial, look to the Paradise Café in the rear of the hall for sandwiches, salads, hot soups and yummy daily specials like chicken pot pie.

There’s an excellent lineup of music in the Sculpture Café from noon to 4pm each day. Listen to original music, jazz, classics from the Great American Songbook, and upbeat swing in three-part harmony.

Friday, November 18 – Classic Big Band music with fabulous vocals by Leslie Alexandra and keyboards by Don McMahon. The face behind the beat is Chet Pasek on percussion. 
Saturday, November 20 – O-Tones Trio: Infectious renditions of swing and Motown. Soulful singer Mary Witt is accompanied by a variety of instruments and three-part harmony.
Sunday, November 21 – Green Street Trio: Classic jazz with pianist Paul Arslanian, bassist George Kaye, and guest vocalist Haley Peltz.

Special Exhibit: Sweet Dreams!

We can’t have art without dreamers. From Hieronymus Bosch and William Blake to Leonora Carrington and Salvador Dalí, artists have used their dreams.as a source of visual splendor through which our waking world is seen anew. When we bring sweetness into the equation, we think of something precious, delicious, enjoyable, childlike, or in pictorial terms even candy colored.  

Paradise City’s artists and makers often combine “sweet” and “dreams” in their work. You’ll see fantastical landscapes with lollipop trees, and delightful pottery shaped and glazed not just for function but for the pure joy of making it. You’ll be introduced to sculptural creatures that clearly inhabit some other world, and home furnishings that incorporate sweet colors, cartoony shapes, polka dots or hearts. At Paradise City this November, you can unlock your dreams with a golden key on a chain, soar through them wearing a coat of many colors, and wake curled up on a chaise longue that is certainly the stuff of dreams. It’s all part and parcel of our themed exhibit in the Sculpture Café, “Sweet Dreams!”

How Do they Do It?

Walking the show, one often comes across an artist working on a painting, sketching out a concept for a commission, carving wood or sizing clothing for a client. This is one of the little pleasures of Paradise City. Not only is the event an opportunity to meet the artists and talk to them about their work, but there is always a glimpse of the technique and thought process behind each piece of art. Listen to their stories!

Enter to Win a Shopping Spree

Visitors may stop by the Information Booth at any time during the show to place their entry for a drawing in one of the big baskets. The winner will receive a gift certificate for a $250 shopping spree that may be redeemed at an exhibitor’s booth at any Paradise City Arts Festival over the next year.

Support Music in the Public Schools

Benefit Coat Check

Since 1998, the enthusiastic volunteers from the Marlborough Public Schools Music Association have been operating a coat and package check at the entrance to Paradise City to benefit music in the public schools. It’s so much more comfortable to walk the show without wearing or carrying a heavy coat or umbrella! You can even leave any purchases at the coat check and pick them up on your way out. Donations are voluntary, and much appreciated.