Chesapeake Bay Art Association 62nd Fall Art Festival 2026

The Chesapeake Bay Art Association (CBAA) is celebrating its 62nd Annual Fall Art Festival at Lakewood Park in Norfolk, VA on October 3-4, 2026 (Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm). This juried arts festival welcomes artists and artisans from across the country as well as local Junior High and High School students. The festival features high quality fine art in a wide variety of styles including oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, drawing, printmaking, fiber, photography, jewelry, glass, wood, pottery, metalwork, sculpture, and mixed media. Proceeds benefit the CBAA Scholarship Fund, which awards eligible high school seniors planning to pursue arts education.

Applications open February 26, 2026. The application deadline is April 1, 2026, with an early bird jury fee of $25 (regular fee $35, late fee $45 after April 2). Artists must submit 4 digital images including a required booth shot. Both artist and non-artist vendors are accepted, and emerging artists are welcome. Load-in is Friday, October 2 from 12pm-5pm, with additional setup times Saturday/Sunday 8am-9:30am. Load-out is Sunday, October 4 between 4pm-6pm only. Vehicles are allowed to drive on grass for setup (weather dependent).

Awards include Best in Show ($650), Marilyn Waide Fentress Memorial Award for Best in Seascape ($300), Ellen B. McKinnon ($100), and Orange Award for Most Energy in an Art Piece ($100). Artists in 2D and 3D mediums are judged separately with First Place ($500), Second Place ($400), Third Place ($300), and Honorable Mention ($100) in each category. All booth fees are due within 3 days of acceptance. Full refunds of booth fees only are available until August 15, 2026 (jury fees are non-refundable). Artists are responsible for collecting Virginia State Sales Tax (6%), must have their own art show insurance, and must provide proof of liability insurance prior to the show. Free parking is available on-site with overflow parking nearby. The festival is rain or shine with no refunds for inclement weather. Security is provided 24 hours from Friday 5pm to Sunday 5:30pm. Contact [email protected] for questions or space availability after the deadline.