If you’re walking through midtown Sacramento this weekend, watch where you step, — you just might be walking on a piece of art.
The 36th annual Chalk Art & Music Festival returns to Fremont Park this Labor Day weekend, with local artists set to create hundreds of temporary chalk murals during one of Sacramento’s biggest art festivals of the year. The festival spans three days from Saturday, Sept. 5 through Monday, Sept. 7, and is free to attendees.
Fremont Park, 1515 Q St., is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Artwork on the park’s exterior will be chalked throughout the weekend depending on the artists’ preferred work hours.
Hosted by local nonprofit Chalk It Up, the festival began in 1991 as a single-day street painting event. It now attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, according to organizers.
“That’s been a real lift for our small but mighty team of volunteers to take on,” Christy Jourdan, executive director of Chalk It Up, said in a news release about the effort required each year to produce the festival. “Thirty-six years later, the dedication of our volunteers, artists, musicians, and supporters continues to make Chalk It Up possible.”
The festival will have local food vendors, artisans, family-friendly activities, free sidewalk chalk stations and a “Drink It Up” Tent, featuring local beer, cider, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. New this year is the Kids Corner, which will highlight non-profits serving local youth.
Live music from local performers will be on stage throughout the weekend, plus a chalk art awards ceremony on Monday afternoon. This year, the festival also celebrates Sacramento artist and musician Charles Thomas (a.k.a. Ground Chuck).
“A lot of our team have been around for a long time and in the local music scene and stuff,” Jourdan said. “And so Ground Chuck has been a familiar face to a lot of us since the ‘80s.”
SacRT is offering special fare-free ride bus or light rail service to those attending the festival. Travelers will need to have a screenshot or printed copy of a special festival flyer available on SacRT’s website. Only one flyer is required per group, and the offer is valid from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Sept. 5 to Sept. 7. The 16th St. Light Rail station is the closest light rail stop to the festival.
A free bike valet, open from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., is also available throughout the festival. The R St. Parking Plaza, located at 15th and R streets a block away from Fremont Park, will be offering special event pricing of $15.99 for all-day parking.
Festival attendees look at completed chalk drawings during Chalk It Up art festival at Fremont Park in Sacramento on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com Who is performing?
Here is a schedule for the performances and ceremonies scheduled to take place on the festival’s main stage:
Saturday, Sept. 5
11:00 a.m. — G.I.R.L.S. Rock Sacramento: Wisteria12:00 p.m. — Mojo Midas1:00 p.m. — According to Bazooka2:00 p.m. — Be Brave Bold Robot3:15 p.m. — Solidarity4:30 p.m. — The Ghost Town Rebellion
Sunday, Sept. 6
11:00 a.m. – Asesinos12:00 p.m. – Rose Lyon1:15 p.m. – The Brody’s2:30 p.m. – Sol Peligro3:45 p.m. – Youth Arts Grant Presentations4:30 p.m. – Leaping Blennies
Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day)
12:00 p.m. – Green For A Day1:15 p.m. – Richard March Band2:30 p.m. – Sacto Storytellers with Ground Chuck Tribute, plus Grant Presentation3:45 p.m. – Chalk Art Awards4:30 p.m. – Little Elvis
More information on the festival and the scheduled performances can be found on Chalk It Up’s website.
The Sacramento Bee
Vince Basada is a 2026 summer reporting intern for The Sacramento Bee. He is a rising senior at UC Davis and works as a news editor at the school’s student paper, The California Aggie.