Isle of Hope's Arts Festival Began in One Bluff Drive Front Yard. This Year It Honors the Man Who Lived There.

In 2000, a handful of local artists set up in front of Ruthie and Noel Wright's home on Bluff Drive. The Wrights had organized the show with the Isle of Hope Artisans League, and neighbors walked over to look. This Saturday, October 24, that same show fills four parts of the island with 125 artists and vendors, picked from more than 300 applicants, according to Savannah Magazine. Last year it drew more than 8,500 people.

The festival has gotten much bigger, but it still runs the way it did in that front yard. Volunteers from the neighborhood run it, the island's own streets serve as the venue, and the proceeds go to the Isle of Hope Historical Association. That makes this year's tribute especially fitting. Savannah Magazine reports that Noel Wright, the community leader and resident historian whose yard hosted the first show, passed away in June. Organizers plan to celebrate him at Saturday's festival.

"This year we're going to celebrate Noel at our festival and truly make him proud with the day's events." Co-chair Tiffany Alewine, speaking to Savannah Magazine

How a yard show grew to cover the island

The festival's own history gives the milestones:

1. 2000: The first show sets up in front of the Wrights' home on Bluff Drive.
2. The growing years: Artists invite other artists, word spreads, and the show expands to the Isle of Hope Marina & Pavilion.
3. 2011: The festival moves off its usual November date to line up with Isle of Hope's 275th anniversary celebration.
4. Today: Artists and makers stretch from the Marina & Pavilion down Rose Avenue, along Bluff Drive and into Paxton Park.

The festival didn't run every year in between. Savannah Magazine reports that co-chairs Erica Wilson and Tiffany Alewine helped revive it after a hiatus, and 2026 is their fifth year leading it. The magazine says Wilson booked the music herself in her first year. After that she handed it to artistic director Isaac Smith of Magnolia Bloom Productions, who put together this year's lineup.

Picking 125 sellers from more than 300 applicants means turning down more than half. Wilson told the magazine she surveys artists after each festival, and 99% call it their best-selling event, with many selling everything they brought.

What each street holds on Saturday

Each area mixes working artists with neighborhood groups. The groups that set up a table are a good guide to who keeps the island running the rest of the year. The festival's vendor list breaks down by zone:

• Paxton Park: Betsy Cain Studio, Marcus Kenney's Parade, Kristen Baird Jewelry, Patrick Dimond, Savannah Sawblades and the Caretta Research Project, plus 30-some other artists.
• Bluff Drive: The Dolphin Project, Sandfly Flower Shop, Brims on the Bluff Custom Hat Bar, Savannah Sweet Tea Company, Savannah Citrus and a table for St. Thomas' Episcopal Church 2026 Tour of Homes.
• Rose Avenue: Local IOH & Tybee Books, The Oyster Lady, Kim's Cheese Straws, Garcia Familia Agua Fresca, Savannah Woodturners Coop and Savannah Country Day School Student Ceramics.
• The Boatyard: Festival Merch + Info, the Isle of Hope Historical Association's table, One Love Animal Rescue and Nanna's Nuts.
• The Marina: King of Pops, Savannah Oyster Co., Baked Bear and Mess Hall Trucker Hats.
• Kid's Area: Teddy Bear Clinic, Mr. Puppet, Little Gym Savannah, The Creative Bus and Kona Ice.

Savannah Magazine counts 16 food trucks. The festival site lists Ark Royal Burgers, The Naked Dog, Cousins Maine Lobster, Krazian, Oh Crepe!, Schnitzel on Wheels, Slow Fire BBQ, Southern Charm by Ardsley Station, The Red Taco Truck, Travelin Tom's Coffee Truck and Vida Fresh by Latin Chicks, among others.

This year's poster is Inside the Outside by Marcus Kenney. It's an archival pigment print in a signed, numbered edition of 100, printed by Parker Stewart Studio, and it sells for $100. Preorders can be picked up at the festival. A $25 artist tee with Kenney's artwork is also on preorder, and the festival says shirts will be sold on site while supplies last.

Two stages, ten hours of music

The music follows the old pattern too, opening with a march through the island's streets. Savannah Magazine reports that by tradition, the festival kicks off with a parade led by the 3rd Infantry Division Band. Music runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on two stages.

Lamont Landers headlines the marina stage. Savannah Magazine describes him as a rising artist from Alabama who went viral covering Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack." He has appeared on "America's Got Talent" and "Showtime at the Apollo," and recorded his debut EP at Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb's studio in Savannah. The same article calls Dallas Wax a five-piece band from New York City and describes Candi Jenkins as a classic-style country singer-songwriter.

The artist booths close at 5 p.m., but the music keeps going until 8. The last three hours belong to the marina stage.

Getting around when the island becomes the venue

Using the island's streets as the venue means cars have to go elsewhere. The festival FAQ says barricades go up on all roads in the festival area at 8:45 a.m., and no cars are allowed on the grounds. For anyone who lives along the route, that sets the morning deadline.

• Admission: Free.
• Parking: At any of the island's three churches and at Isle of Hope School, with a parking map on the festival's maps page.
• Shuttle: Volunteers give golf-cart rides to the designated parking areas.
• Arriving: Savannah Magazine says parking is limited and suggests a rideshare or getting there early.
• Dogs: Welcome on a leash.
• Drinks: Cash bars in Paxton Park and in the marina parking lot.
• Weather: The festival runs rain or shine.

Wormsloe State Historic Site at 7601 Skidaway Road is running its "Where's Noble Bones? A Bone-Chilling Scavenger Hunt" the same Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3.25 to $12. A family could fit the hunt in early and still reach the marina stage in time for the late sets.

Where the money goes after Saturday

Proceeds go to the Isle of Hope Historical Association, which works to preserve the island's stories and character. The association's events run through the holidays. It lists the annual Isle of Hope Christmas Tree Lighting for Sunday, November 29, with caroling in the park and a visit from Santa.

So the money raised on Bluff Drive, where Noel Wright's neighbors first set up their art, goes back into preserving the history he spent decades telling.

We'll be out on the island Saturday enjoying the music and the artists along with everyone else. If you'd like to talk about life on Isle of Hope after the festival is over, The Trisha Cook Team is happy to share what we know. Schedule Your VIP Consultation.