Tempe Festival of the Arts - Spring 2026

Join us for the 49th Annual Tempe Festival of the Arts, March 13-15, 2026 in Downtown Tempe. The festival is among the oldest art events in the Southwest with around 350 artists joining us from throughout North America. It's a three-day affair with around 50,000 guests per day, occurring along historic Mill Avenue, a vibrant urban main street loved by all in the Valley. The festival is a juried show that promotes original art with all artists on-site to engage visitors, taking advantage of the "snowbird" high tourism season in Arizona and the gorgeous Spring weather. More than a quarter of the Festival's visitors come from outside Phoenix and outside Arizona to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts.

Applications must be submitted by December 15, 2025, with a $35 jury fee. Artists are invited based on nine images: six showing the full array of work being proposed, two representing tools/equipment/workspace, and one booth display image. Booth fees vary from $460-805 based on location and size (10x10, 10x20, and 5x20 spaces available). Emerging Arizona artists pay a reduced booth fee of $270 and are located in a designated area on Maple Avenue. The jury evaluates applicants based on concept, workmanship, originality, design, and presentation through three rounds of scoring.

The festival offers multiple discipline categories including Ceramics, Cottage Edibles & Crafts, Digital Art, Drawing, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, and Metal. Artists wishing to apply in multiple categories must submit separate applications for each. The festival includes live entertainment, roaming entertainment, wine and spirits tasting, and art-centered youth programming, plus amenities for artists including hospitality, booth sitting, art delivery assistance, and 24-hour roaming security.