Mariah Swanson and Elana Chernick-Kritz Paint a Brilliant Future for Paradise City Arts
By Melissa Karen Sances | Photos by Nikki Gardner Photography
Published in Northampton Living | October 2025
For 31 years the Three-County Fairgrounds have been transformed into an artists’ mecca and an art lovers’ destination. Paradise City Arts returns to Northampton from October 11 to 13, and its new show directors, Mariah Swanson and Elana Chernick-Kritz, are delighted to take the reins.
The two met 15 years ago while working at R. Michelson Galleries, and they have spent the past 15 years eagerly visiting Paradise, marveling that more than 200 artists could come together in a supportive space. What is art, really, but a conversation between the artist and their blank canvas, and a patron and the finished product? Paradise elevated this dynamic so that artists and patrons could talk to each other about what moved them and why.
A Smooth Transition
Swanson and Chernick-Kritz were handpicked by founders Geoff and Linda Post to honor the essence of Paradise – and expand its reach. The Posts founded Paradise in 1995 as two artists who had experienced the show circuit and wanted something better for their fellow creators. Now there are two shows in Northampton, in May and October, and two in Marlborough, in March and November, every year. For the past two years, Swanson and Chernick-Kritz focused on absorbing decades of history from their mentors and honing their own vision.
“We’re comfortable knowing why they did things the way they did and why it works,” says Swanson, “and we’re really excited to be making some new creative decisions.”
Reimagining Paradise
On the fairgrounds, the event fills three large, airy buildings; features an outdoor Sculpture Promenade and a stage for live music; boasts two, 5,000-square-foot Dining Tents; and offers a hands-on creative space in Building 2. The new co-directors want to make the space even more welcoming for the 8,000 people who frequent the festival.
“Saturday is probably going to be the biggest noticeable new change,” says Chernick-Kritz, who explains that instead of going from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the day will start at 11 a.m. and end at 7 p.m., to allow for more dining and shopping. Then a “mystery surprise band” will play until 9 p.m., while a guest brewer presides over the beer garden. “Hopefully you come for the shopping but then you stay for the show.”
An Ode to the Valley
Music isn’t new to Paradise, but Swanson and Chernick-Kritz plan to feature two local bands on each day of the long weekend. This year Lexi Weege, LeFever, The Wolves, Green Street Trio, and the Buddy McEarns Band are all slated to play. The daytime activities will be more family-friendly, while the nighttime will have more “dance party/beer garden vibes,” says Swanson.
As for the tastings, “Food diversity is the name of the game,” says Chernick-Kritz, who lists Spoleto Restaurant, India House, Ginger Love Café, Local Burger, Masa Mexicano, Herrell's Ice Cream, and Carefree Cakery as some of the featured establishments. Guests can also enjoy refreshments courtesy of Monsoon Roastery and a champagne bubbles bar. The Mill District General Store & Local Art Gallery will be leading activities, and Periidot Holistic Esthetics will be offering hand treatments. There will also be a silent auction to benefit the International Language Institute of Massachusetts.
A Bright Future
Paradise City Arts offers support to artists during off-show times through a membership program that includes booth consultations, workshops, being featured in four guides throughout the year, and reaching an audience of 250,000 through the Paradise City Marketplace, which functions as an online gallery. In 2026 Paradise will debut its Emerging Artists program, which invites newer crafters to apply for a spot in an established show. Swanson says the co-directors are thrilled to make space for tradition and vision: “It makes us feel really excited because we always wanted to have new and fresh artists as well as our greatest hits.”
Artist Statements
“I have a relationship with my customers that I never had before,” says Marlene Rye, an artist who uses pastels to capture the beauty of western Mass and has been featured in the show for almost a decade. “I’ll never go back to galleries. I’m a show person now.”
Ken Salem, who crafts furniture from wood he sources himself, also raves about the festival he’s been a part of for 25 years:
“It’s been a centerpiece of growth for me and has served as a great way as an artist to figure out what works and what doesn’t. It’s what keeps me vibrant and looking to do new things.”
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