Sidewalk Arts Festival 2025

The Sidewalk Arts Festival is a free outdoor event featuring more than 250 vendor booths with the region's best fine art, folk art and craft artisans. The festival takes place on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the streets surrounding the Washington Pavilion in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The event attracts more than 40,000 shoppers each year and includes activities for kids, live entertainment, food vendors, and a large food court. This festival serves as a fundraiser for the Washington Pavilion and is the region's largest one-day arts and crafts festival.

Applications open February 10, 2025, with a deadline of May 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time through the ZAPPlication online system. Artists must submit four images: three of individual pieces of work and one booth photo. All work must be original, hand-crafted or designed, with no buy-sell items allowed. The jury will review applications based on originality, design quality, creativity, and technical execution. Artists will be notified of jury results via email by mid-July, and accepted artists must mail their booth fees by July 25, 2025.

Fine Art Awards include Best in Show ($500), Best in Show Two-Dimensional ($250), and Best in Show Three-Dimensional ($250). Electricity is available for $55 on a first-come-first-served basis around the Washington Pavilion perimeter. Artists are responsible for collecting and paying South Dakota sales tax (8% for arts/crafts). The festival accepts various media including ceramics, clothing/accessories, drawing, fiber/textiles, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, and other original handmade work.