The Sarasota Chalk Festival

November 8 - 10, 2024

The Sarasota Chalk Festival is a colorful and creative festival that attracts more and more artists and spectators each year.

It was begun in 2007.

With Chalk Artists from almost every state in the nation and dozens from outside the U.S., the Sarasota Chalk Fest has taken on an international flavor.

Get ready to be dazzled and amazed by the sheer amount of talent that shows up for this festival of creativity.

In 2014 the festival moved its venue from Sarasota to several locations in Venice, just south of Sarasota a few minutes by car. Venice, after all, is in Sarasota County.

With artists from 28 countries attending in 2014, the fest was spread out over three locations; one being on Miami Avenue in historic downtown Venice, which was a wonderful setting for the street artists’ works, especially with the building facades, modeled after Venice, Italy, in the background. 

In 2024 The Chalk Fest moved back to Burns Court in Sarasota, S. Pineapple & S. Orange Avenues

No matter the location of the fest, it is usually quite a picturesque setting on a beautiful sunlit Florida day.

As a nice touch, you can actually interact with the artists. And they seem to love the interaction.

A short walk away was another venue; the Venice Cultural Center, site of a huge paved lot, where scores more artists were dazzling, amusing and amazing spectators with their 3-D Pavement Art.

And, located at the base of the 3-D Artwork was a special 3-D viewing lens available for spectators through which to view the 3-D Pavement Artwork.

And the third location for the 2014 Festival was the Venice Municipal Airport Festival Grounds where artists were able to turn old runways into their canvas.

The Sarasota Chalk Festival

The Sarasota Chalk Festival

One nice touch that organizers employed for the 2014 festival was that shuttle buses were used to take spectators between the downtown Venice location and the Airport Festival Grounds location.

The theme for the artists changes each year. In 2014 it was “Extinct and Endangered Species.”

The theme of the 2016 festival was: "Love & Peace." 

Other recent year’s themes were: 2015: "Eat Drink & Be Merry," 2013: “Legacy of Valor,” honoring American Veterans and in 2012 it was “Circus City USA,” which honored Sarasota’s rich circus heritage.

When you have both national and international talent on board for a festival such as this, as a spectator, you will really see some amazing work.

I can’t draw a straight line, so it is astounding to me how many talented artists there were who attended this festival.

And like the artists, spectators are young, middle age and seniors. Everyone is welcome whether an artist or an on-looker.

The Sarasota Chalk Festival traditionally runs 3 - 4 days with the final day being the "Viewing Day of Completed Artwork," this after the previous evening’s Closing Awards Party. Click here for tickets and even more on this annual creative fest!

Festival Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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