The Patchogue Arts Council and Patchogue Theatre are teaming up again for the Ratgrrl’s Vendor Circus.
The event, which debuted last September, is a free family-fun arts festival that features 40-plus vendors. Some of those merchants include artisan foods purveyors, clothing designers, jewelry makers and painters.
This year’s Ratgrrl’s Vendor Circus will be held on Sunday, March 31 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the theatre. And, according to the event’s founder, Jessica Valentin, this year is going to be bigger and better.
“There’s going to be live sketching and painting, fake tattoos, musical acts,” said Valentin, who is known by many as Ratgrrl. “There is something for everyone.”
According to the PAC, every space will be used at the Patchogue Theatre.
Valentin, who opened her own art gallery Muñeca Arthouse on South Ocean Avenue, came up with the idea for the Vendor Circus when she used to work for the now-closed Ripe Art Gallery in Huntington.
“We ran something similar,” she explained. “We had between 16 and 19 vendors and everyone enjoyed it.”
After seeing its success, Valentin pushed for the PAC to adopt the art fest when she joined the organization in 2017.
“I thought it was a great way to help fundraise,” she said.
want to be a vendor?
Currently, the Ratgrrl’s Vendor Circus is still accepting vendors. For those interested, email info@patchoguearts.org for more information.
Top: Outside of the Patchogue Theatre during last year’s Ratgrrl’s Vendor Circus. (Credit: Facebook)
