St. James Court Art Show 2026

The St. James Court Art Show is an autumn tradition held the first full weekend of October in Louisville, Kentucky, drawing 250,000+ visitors. The 70th annual show is scheduled for October 2-4, 2026, with hours from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The show is held in the heart of historic Old Louisville and features 225 fine artists and contemporary craftspeople from throughout North America exhibiting and selling work along Saint James Court, Belgravia Court, Magnolia Avenue, and adjacent blocks of Third and Fourth Streets. Admission is free, and the event is held rain or shine. Pets are not allowed.

Applications open January 1, 2026, with an application deadline of May 1, 2026. The application fee is $40 (non-refundable). Jury takes place May 8, 2026, with notification by May 15, 2026. The booth fee deadline is July 1, 2026. Booth fees are $625 for a 10' x 10' space, $675 for corner spaces, $830 for Extra Large (10' x 16'-19') spaces, and $1,150 for doubles (10' x 20'). Mandatory setup is Thursday, October 1, 2026. The show reserves at least 50 booth spaces for newly juried artists. Wait-listed artists are typically invited to participate, with an average of 98% acceptance over the past three years.

All work must be original and of the exhibitor's own crafting. No buy/resell, production work, assembly work, 3D printing, commercial items, imported items, kits, or mass-produced items are accepted. Work produced by artificial intelligence is not accepted. Prints and mechanical reproductions are allowed if clearly stated on the application and do not comprise more than 25% of the display. Artists must provide their own professional-grade 10' x 10' white display tent, properly weighted with at least 50 pounds on each tent leg. Artists must be present and have their booth open during all show hours. General liability insurance is required. Electricity is not available; generators are not permitted, but battery-powered lighting is acceptable. Cancellations must be submitted in writing by August 1, 2026 for a refund minus $100. No refunds are given after August 1, 2026 or if inclement weather occurs. Proceeds fund community charities, college art scholarships, and neighborhood maintenance.