East Lansing Art Festival 2026

Established in 1964, the East Lansing Art Festival is an evolving outdoor celebration of fine art and fine craft which has grown to include an interactive artist demonstration area, poetry and live music. The free festival opens on Saturday morning and runs through Sunday evening. This highly anticipated mid-Michigan festival attracts over 40,000 knowledgeable art patrons from around the region and is consistently ranked in Sunshine Artist Magazine's annual best 100 shows listing.

The ELAF maintains high standards of quality in fine art/fine crafts. All work must be the creation of the exhibiting artist: the original concept, design, style and execution must be attributable solely to the displaying artist(s). Artists must be 18 years of age or older. The jury fee is $30.00 before and on November 30, 2025, and $35.00 beginning December 1, 2025. Booth fees range from $350 for a single booth to $750 for a double booth with corner. All tents must be white and require at least 40 pounds of weight per tent leg.

The festival offers approximately $6,000 in artist awards, with all award winners exempt from jury for the following three consecutive festivals. Artists receive complimentary promotional postcards, Friday drive-up load-in, booth sitters on weekends, free artist parking, and security patrols. Applications must be submitted online through Zapplication by midnight Eastern Standard Time, January 31, 2026, with 5 images required including a booth shot. Notifications will be sent by the first week of March following the February jury process.