The Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show has a long and storied history as an event in downtown Lititz.

The next edition of the event might be the last one conducted at Lititz Springs Park. The Lititz Art Association (LAA), which sponsors the show, is hoping beyond hope that it won't be the final Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show ever.

"The park (officials have) decided that large events like ours are too hard on the ecosystem of the park, and they want to limit that," said Beth Kaylor Brunner, who's been the president of the LAA for 10 years. "We want to keep it in Lititz because it's so good for Lititz. But because it's so large, it's hard to find a venue. If we went indoors, we'd have to move out of Lititz."

"We'll have to see what the final say is with the people we are talking with," continued Kaylor Brunner.

Floyd Hackman, the president of the Village Art Association, established what would evolve into the Lititz Fine Art Show in the late 1960s as a way to bring the local community together through art. The event grew into one of the largest of its kind on the East Coast after moving to Lititz Springs Park in 1982.

"We are hoping to find a new venue," said Kaylor Brunner. "We have feelers out. We have some options and we're hoping they pan out so we can continue the show. It's a lot of work, but it allows (LAA) to do a lot of things."

This year's edition of the Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show, the 58th, will be staged on Saturday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lititz Springs Park, 24 N. Broad St., Lititz. The rain-or-shine event is free to visitors, and several concessions stands for refreshments will be available.

Kaylor Brunner said she has enjoyed the park as a setting for the show. "It's a beautiful setting, a wonderful outdoor venue, and the show is about sharing with the artists," she said. "It's a celebration of the arts. People are just having a good time. Some people are just looking; some are serious buyers."

About 140 artists - nearly 30 LAA members; other local creative individuals; and people from surrounding communities, Lancaster County and as far away as New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Virginia and Florida - will be showing the labors of their love and offering them for sale. Prizes will be awarded in the categories of ceramics, mixed media, oils and acrylics, sculpture, print making, watercolor, pastels and drawings.

"I think we have very good artists. They're juried before they get into the show," said Kaylor Brunner. "A lot of them are professional artists who make their livings doing this. They go from show to show. We also have people who do it as a side hustle to their full-time jobs."

More than 3,000 visitors, spectators and art lovers are expected to attend the show. The Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show is LAA's largest fundraising event.

"(The proceeds) will be used for our programs and for buying equipment," said Kaylor Brunner. "We also use the money for events. It goes back to the community for a lot of different things."

"It's grown into something very unique," she added. "We have artists who have been with us for a long time. They love the show. They love the venue. And the merchants downtown love the show. It's a great day for Lititz in general."

The fine art show is one of four events that LAA conducts annually, along with the smaller Lititz Parkwalk, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Lititz Springs Park; the Holiday Gift Show, which will be held at Lititz Church of the Brethren from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15; and the members-only Square Foot Show, conducted at the Lititz Shirt Factory every spring.

"(The Lititz Outdoor Fine Art Show is) a great show to come to and see art," said Kaylor Brunner. "It's basically artists teaching people what they do and how they do it. Our mission at the Lititz Art Association is to foster the arts, and that is what this show is about. Communities that have a vibrant art association usually prosper, and it's usually good for the area."

For additional information, go to http://www.lititzartassociation.com.