BELLINGHAM - The 33rd annual Holiday Festival of the Arts opens Friday, Nov. 16, in a new home this year, off of Meador Avenue in the Haskell Business Park.

The six-week festival hosted by Allied Arts had been in a building on Meridian Street near Interstate 5 the last few years. But that building wasn't available, so festival organizers had to quickly find a new spot.

"We need at least 10,000 square feet to accommodate the 100 artists," said Kelly Hart, Allied Arts' executive director.

The event also needs adequate parking, plenty of power for all the holiday lighting and artist booths, and accessibility for disabled people. The economy must be getting better, Hart noted, because it wasn't easy finding a new spot.

The Haskell and Mills family partnership, which owns the building at 1200 Meador Ave., stepped up and donated the new space. Organizers spent the last several days transforming it into a holiday environment.

Annual visitors to the juried event will see familiar faces but also should find new artists.

"Every year we get new ones into the festival," Hart said.

The festival is a popular local holiday shopping spot. Participating artists and vendors offer paintings, fiber art, jewelry, pottery, candles, glasswork, photography and much more. The festival also holds workshops for children and live performances on weekends.

Once open Friday, the festival will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays through Dec. 23. On Christmas Eve it will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To get there, from Lincoln Street turn onto Fraser Street and then take an immediate left onto Moore Street. Where Moore intersects with Meador, go right. The festival is in the brick building on the right.

If that sounds complicated, organizers say they'll be putting up plenty of signs to direct people.

For more information go to alliedarts.org.

Reach DEBBIE TOWNSEND at debbie.townsend@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2280.