The brilliant Inner West Art Fair is taking over Williamstown Town Hall this October, and it's got wine, DJs and 45+ artists.
There’s a low-key art fair building serious buzz on Melbourne’s western fringe, and the Williamstown Inner West Art Fair is proof that you don’t need the CBD to find good culture.
Returning for its fourth edition, the fair brings together more than 45 artists and galleries for three days of art, music, performance, food and design.
What sets Inner West Art Fair apart is its atmosphere.
There’s no pressure to speed-walk past the artworks here. Visitors can spend real time with the pieces on show, talk directly to the artists, grab a drink from the wine bar, listen to live music, join a workshop, or bring the whole family along and see what they stumble across.
Inner West Art Fair
- Friday 16 October: 12pm to 9pm
- Saturday 17 October: 10am to 6pm
- Sunday 18 October: 10am to 4pm
- Williamstown Town Hall, 104 Ferguson St, Williamstown
- Tickets here
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The lineup
This year’s exhibitor list is a genuinely broad snapshot of what’s happening in contemporary art across the west right now, mixing established names with emerging talent.
Artists include Anajana Rai, Aimie Whiting, Ben Liney, Candy Ng, Carmel Cosgrove, Christine Goerner, Claire Cummack, Damien McNamara, Elena Kolotusha, Kate Birrell, Lara Tees, Serena Pham and Suzanne Walson, alongside galleries such as Kartu Gallery and The In Between Gallery, among dozens of others.
For collectors, it’s a chance to connect directly with artists and discover new work. For anyone newer to collecting, it’s an approachable entry point without any of the intimidation factor.
Friday to Sunday: what’s on at the Inner West Art Fair
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Doors open on Friday 16 October at midday, with the wine bar, a pop-up art shop from Atelier Art Supplies and plenty of art to explore straight away.
Artist Elissa Parsons performs live between 2pm and 4pm, before the fair shifts into Opening Night mode from 5pm, with DJ Minimo on the decks through to 9pm.
Saturday kicks off at 10am with a coffee cart and the Sean Candy Didj Soundscape Experience at 10.30am.
Wilde Interiors runs two floral workshops across the day, giving visitors a chance to get hands-on with flowers and design, while DJ Minimo returns at 2pm to keep the energy up until the day wraps at 6pm.
Sunday eases things back with an Art Breakfast from 10am, pairing a Candied Bakery croissant with coffee, followed by another Sean Candy soundscape session at 10.30am.
The final day also puts a spotlight on younger visitors, with two children’s workshops from artist Cathay Mackay bookending a midday live performance from Lewis Pidutti, before the fair officially closes at 4pm.
A community-first vision
Founder and director Julia Bevis has spoken about wanting the fair to feel genuinely connected to its community, giving the west’s artists and creatives a dedicated platform to be seen, discovered and celebrated close to home, rather than needing to head into the city.
That community-first approach seems to be paying off. Four editions in, Inner West Art Fair isn’t trying to be the biggest art event on Melbourne’s calendar. It’s building something with its own identity instead: local, welcoming and firmly tied to the place it calls home.
For anyone chasing a weekend that blends original art, live music, workshops and a genuinely relaxed atmosphere, this one’s worth the trip out west.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Inner West Art Fair.
