The Main Street Arts Festival returns to Fort Worth this weekend for 2026, marking the 39th year for the largest arts festival in the state of Texas. The free, family-friendly weekend event takes over 18 blocks in the city’s downtown area, bringing with it plenty of art, music, food, drinks and more to enjoy.
While the rain did keep some people away from the festival earlier Saturday morning, more people showed up in the afternoon. Out of 1,200 applicants, more than 200 artists across a variety of mediums were selected to set up a booth. It’s a boon for both the artists and for the city; it’s estimated that about $4 million worth of sales happens over the weekend, making it the third-ranked fine arts festival in the country.
“The caliber of art is among the best of the best,” said Claire Armstrong, public relations manager for the festival. “The artists who get in love the show because they say they sell.”
That’s something that James Pearce agrees with. He’s a wood-focused artist who was announced Friday as one of this year’s Merit Award winners for the festival.
Merit Award-winning artist discusses Fort Worth’s Main Street Arts Festival by
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“This is one of my favorite all-time shows,” he said, “coming down here to Fort Worth.”
Pearce, visiting from Peoria, Illinois, shared some more insight about his work as well.
“My work in general is industrially, mechanically-inspired work in wood, and regardless of what it looks like, it’s wood,” he said.
The festival also features six food courts, hosting 40 vendors serving up plenty of bites for visitors.
A taste of the cuisine at the 2026 Main Street Arts Festival in Fort Worth by
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The Main Street Arts Festival continues until 11 p.m. Saturday night, and reopens at 10 a.m. Sunday until it closes down at 8 p.m. that night.