NO PETS ARE ALLOWED IN THE PARK OR ON PARK AVENUE DURING THE ART FESTIVAL’S HOURS OF OPERATION. For details on local ordinances, contact the City of Winter Park

WHERE

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival takes place in Central Park, along Park Avenue, in Winter Park, Florida.
Festival Hours: 9am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious juried outdoor art festivals, consistently rated among the top shows by Sunshine Artist and American Style magazines. Each year more than 350,000 visitors enjoy the show. This year about 1,200 artists from around the world applied for entry and an independent panel of judges selected 225 national and international artists to attend the show.The National Endowment for the Arts, The White House, Congress and many others have lauded the Festival for promoting art and art education in Central Florida. An all volunteer board of directors runs the annual Festival, now celebrating its 51st year.

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival was started by a handful of enthusiasts as a community project to benefit local artists and art lovers. The first festival was held on Park Avenue in March 1960. The festival featured original works of art and, after being advertised for just three weeks before the opening, drew 90 exhibiting artists. Over the next decade, the festival grew to over 600 artists and was spread out over Park Avenue from Fairbanks Avenue to Canton Avenue and on all cross streets. For the past 30 years or so, the festival has been contained solely in the park area and currently features 225 artists and 3 emerging artists. A loving art community has created and nurtured a successful festival that looks forward to another 50 years in Central Park.

ART CATEGORIES

There is a wide variety of outstanding artwork.  Categories include: Clay, Digital Art, Drawing and Graphics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, Metal, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Watercolor and Wood.  

AWARDS

The artists compete for 62 awards totaling $67,500. Best of Show is $10,000. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Committee purchases the Best of Show art and donates it to the City of Winter Park. (All previous Best of Show winners are on permanent display at the Winter Park Public Library.) There are also 10 Awards of Excellence; each is $2,000. There are 20 Awards of Distinction; each is $1,000 and there are 30 Awards of Merit; each is $500. In addition, a $2,500 Award for a Distinguished Work of Art is presented through the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Coming soon for the 2010 show.

FAMILY FUN

Girls and boys may create their own artwork at the Children’s Workshop Village. Easel painting is very popular and local art centers and museums feature a variety of fun, hands-on, art activates for children. Participating museums include: Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Garden, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Cornell Museum of Fine Art, Crealde School of Art, Maitland Art Center, The Mennello Museum of American Folk Art, Orlando Museum of Art, and Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts. Admission is free, and participants may keep what they make. Children’s Workshop Village hours are 10 am to 4 pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Easel painting is from 10 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday.

LEON THEODORE SCHOOLS EXHIBIT

It’s a show within the show! Thousands of pieces of artwork by Orange County students are on display at the Leon Theodore Schools Exhibit. (See location on map). Take some time to wander through the displays and admire the creativity and talent exhibited by our local school children. It’s worth a visit!

PARKING

General Parking: Free parking is available along many surrounding streets. You can also park in private lots and garages.

Disabled Parking: The new parking lot at the corner of Canton & Park Avenues has disabled parking spaces and has been designated as such for the festival. When in doubt, please ask a Winter Park Police officer, stationed at Park & Canton Avenues or New York Avenue & Morse Boulevard for assistance.