Not unlike beauty, art is in the eye of the beholder.

Art is what you make of it. Art is where you find it. Art moves us all, each in our own unique way.

Interpretation will abound at the Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Arts Show.

"I'm not really an art guy, but it takes all kinds," said Alex Van Pelt, who's been the environmental education program manager for the Manheim Township Recreation and Parks Planning (MTRPP) department for eight years. "Everybody sees different value in different works. That's the beauty of the show."

MTRPP's 27th annual Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Arts Show will be presented from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Landis Woods Park, 2369 Lititz Pike, Lancaster. The rain-or-shine event is free to attend, and free parking will be available at Neffsville Mennonite Church, 2371 Lititz Pike, Lancaster.

"The art show is a unique event because it's entirely outdoors," said Van Pelt. "It's an art show set in nature. There will be centrally located music that you can hear throughout the park. The artists' tents are spread out, and there's a nice outdoors feel to it. It's just a nice day in the park."

The Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Arts Show will feature the works of 25 mostly Lancaster County artists in mediums like watercolor, oil, acrylics, sketching, woodworking and metalworking. The artists will offer some of their works for sale.

Several cash prizes will be awarded to the pieces of art, including best of show.

"A lot of these artists have studios," said Van Pelt, "and for a majority of them, it's their living. It's not a hobby."

"For me personally, I like the wood working booth," continued Van Pelt. "A lot of the artists are actively working throughout the show. It's enjoyable to me to watch someone make something out of a piece of wood."

The art show's vibe will be supplemented by music and hot and cold food items made available by the Neffsville Mennonite Church youth group. But the artistic atmosphere will be inspired by trees, nature and early fall weather.

"It's very laid back," said Van Pelt. "You have visitors of all ages, and some people like watching the bands all day. It's well attended. It's a nice outing for residents."

The Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Arts Show will present audio art from Stone Soup String Band from 9 to 10:30 a.m., Jim Sorrentino Jazz Band from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Lancaster County Folk Music and Fiddle Society from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and the Steve Barth Band from 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.

"Lancaster is an interesting area, and there are a lot of art shows here," said Van Pelt. "(The Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Arts Show is) an opportunity to see a lot of different artists, and this one is held in the woods, which is one of the most unique settings for an art show in Lancaster County."

The outdoor fine arts show was established in 1999 through the efforts of former Manheim Township supervisor and art lover Roy Baldwin. Since its inception, the show has gained popularity by capturing the imaginations of local residents.

"(The show) has had a pretty decent history in Lancaster," said Van Pelt. "There have certainly been ebbs and flows. But the community has varying interests in art. It's always been a little different."

In addition to the art show, MTRPP also sponsors a pair of Halloween carnivals near the end of October, a holiday open house in early December, a groundhog's day celebration in early February, a community egg hunt in April and now an Earth Day festival near the end of April.

"Over the last five or 10 years, the rec department has put more energy into community events," said Van Pelt. "We're just trying to have as many events and programs as we can. We want to keep them engaging for the whole community. (The art show) is one of the longer standing events. There are demographics of people who have interest in this art show. We try to make sure there are all types of events for all ages and all walks of life."

For additional information, go to http://www.manheimtownship.org/1644/Landis-Woods-Outdoor-Fine-Art-Show.