Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival 2026

The Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival will be celebrating 49 years this fall. The festival is held in the middle of award-winning, historic Downtown Downers Grove, located 22 miles from Chicago's loop. Direct access to the BNSF rail line brings patrons from around the region and the City of Chicago to the festival. The festival is scheduled to be held in the middle of Main Street, with live music, boutiques, cafes, and a children's art area complementing the art on display.

Accepted media includes ceramics, drawings, fiber, glass, graphics, handmade and hand-painted furniture, jewelry, metalwork, mixed media, paintings (watercolor, oil, acrylic), photography, pottery, printing, sculpture, and items of original design and exceptional quality. All work must be original and the result of an original idea or inspiration. No art produced by commercial kits, molds, patterns, or plans is permitted. Prints (lithograph, serigraph, and similar properly signed and numbered works) must be limited to 10% of work displayed. All jewelry displayed must be original in design, assembled and completed by the artist. Photographs must be original and hand-printed by the displaying photographer alone.

The jury fee is $35.00 per media, due by April 1, 2026. The booth fee for a standard 10x10 booth is $250.00, due by May 28, 2026 once accepted. Applicants must submit five digital images (four of current work and one of typical booth setup) through ZAPplication. Emerging artists are welcome to apply. Cash awards include a $500.00 Best of Show and two $100 Awards of Excellence. Artist setup begins Saturday, September 12 at 6:30am, with artists required to set up by 9:30am and open on September 12 & 13, 2026. Artists must provide their own booth setup (tent, tables, display boards) with a required 10x10 white, fire-retardant tent. No electricity will be provided. Artists must be present throughout the festival and pack up by 7:30pm on September 12. Amenities include complimentary bottled water, complimentary coffee on Saturday and Sunday mornings, indoor bathroom, booth sitting, and overnight security. Cancellations before or on June 16, 2026 receive a 75% refund; cancellations on or after June 17, 2026 are not refunded.