RiverArtsFest 2026

RiverArtsFest celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2026 as a nationally ranked (#15) fine arts festival and the longest running fine arts festival in the region. This urban street festival is held in downtown Memphis on the banks of the Mississippi River and attracts patrons from Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi. The festival presents a rich cultural celebration of fine art, music, and food, featuring a juried artist market, artist demonstration areas, educational activities for children and adults, live musical performances, and outdoor food vending. Gate fees are $15 for adults and $5 for youth 6-12 years of age; children 5 and under are free.

RiverArtsFest selects artists through a blind jury process with a panel consisting of museum curators, arts educators, and professional artists. The festival accepts applications from artists working in diverse media including ceramics, digital art, drawing, fiber and leather, glass, graphics and printmaking, jewelry, metal works, mixed media, painting, and photography. All work must be original and designed and executed by the accepted artist; work done by a production studio or AI-generated work is not acceptable. The application fee is $40 (non-refundable). Artists may submit up to 2 applications. An emerging artist program is available for working artists in the early years of their career (typically the first 10 years of professional work) who are full-time residents of Shelby County, Tennessee or adjoining counties and at least 18 years of age.

The festival takes place October 17-18, 2026, with artist setup on Friday, October 16 beginning at 8 AM. Application deadline is May 31, 2026. Notification of acceptance will be made by email on July 7, 2026. Booth payment deadline is July 31, 2026. Artist cancellation date is September 1, 2026. RiverArtsFest is presented by RiverArtsFest, Inc., a non-profit organization supported by more than 200 community volunteers.