A popular June event will see more exhibitors this year.
The Rotary Club of Windsor 1918 is expecting 300 vendors for the 45th annual Art in the Park event at Willistead Park this weekend.
The two-day event kicks off on Saturday, June 1 and features a wide array of art and crafts plus a kids zone, 20 food vendors as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Event chair Allan Kidd says it's the most vendors the event has ever had.
He says some of the exhibitors are from New Brunswick and Manitoba.
"We got a new number of 300 artists that are going to be exhibiting this year, it's our most ever," he says. "We got a very big kids zone with all kinds of activities for the kids. That came as a response to some of the comments that we got from past attendees."
Kidd says this year's event has about 50 new vendors but adds some applicants were turned away.
"We probably have about 800 applications every year and unfortunately we can't take very many more than what we got at this moment," says Kidd. "The park's about 15 acres but it's pretty close to capacity now."
He says the park is fully licence for alcoholic beverages.
"You can grab a beer, a glass of wine, a mixed drink and the whole park is licensed," he adds. "Of course we have a lot of security and police present but it's a family event. "We don't sell a whole lot of spirits perhaps unfortunately but it is an attraction for those people that might not be interested in the art."
Kidd says over the years, the charity fundraising event has raised millions of dollars.
He says money raised supports the purchase of wheelchairs for children and adults in Windsor-Essex.
It also supports the purchase of books for kids in Guatemala and the drilling of wells in Africa.
Tickets are $7 in advance or $8 at the gate.
There are also free shuttles available at two different pick-up spots in the city.
Kidd says the pick up locations are near Walker Road and Riverside Drive and parking lot on Kildare Road between Ottawa Street and Tecumseh Road.