Downtown Festival & Art Show 2025 - 44th Annual

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs invites artists to submit applications for the 44th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show held November 15 & 16, 2025. Celebrating its 44th year, this festival has earned a reputation as one of the Sunshine State's most successful fine arts festivals, ranked among the best fine arts shows in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine and Greg Lawler's Art Fair SourceBook. The festival attracts 40,000 visitors to historic downtown Gainesville and offers $15,000 in Judges' awards.

Artists may apply for either the competitive or market (non-competitive) category in one of twelve mediums including ceramics, digital art, drawing/printmaking, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media 2D/3D, painting, photography, sculpture, and wood. The application fee is $36.00 and requires four digital images: three of individual pieces and one booth shot. Artists must be present for the duration of the show from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days, and all work must be original and representative of submission images.

Awards include Best of Show 2D and 3D ($2,000 each), five Awards of Excellence ($1,000 each), twelve Awards of Distinction ($500 each), an Emerging Artist Award ($200), and two Judge's Choice Awards. Artist amenities include a hospitality center, free refreshments and lunches, booth sitting services, parking passes, and Friday night setup. The jury process gives priority to local artists with extra points for Florida and Alachua County residents. Previous year award winners receive automatic invitations and waived application fees.