Dozens of people filled the downtown area to experience local art, vendors and small businesses that make the monthly event a staple for the community.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Downtown Corpus Christi was the place to be Friday night as crowds gathered for the latest First Friday ArtWalk.

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Dozens of people filled the downtown area to experience local art, vendors and small businesses that make the monthly event a staple for the community.

For many attendees, ArtWalk is a chance to take in everything downtown Corpus Christi has to offer. For Steve Sullivan, it is also an opportunity to continue his family’s legacy of creating custom jewelry — a business venture started by his father in 1981.

“And he actually started selling jewelry right out of like a suitcase,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said carrying on what his father built and pushing it forward into 2026 feels surreal.

“I’m getting older so it gets a little bit more rougher. But it does mean a lot. If my dad could look back on what I’m doing today, it would mean a lot,” he said.

That mindset, according to Downtown Management District Executive Director Arlene Medrano, is what continues to drive ArtWalk’s growth.

“It’s called ArtWalk because our galleries are open. We have vendors who are artists who sell their art here as well as their homemade creations, and so it’s really an opportunity for families to come together,” Medrano said.

Medrano said that growth does not slow down as the seasons change. Even during the winter months, ArtWalk continues — just in a different form.

“In December, January, and February, we don’t do any street closures, but we do activate. We are currently in Artesian Park, and we also have activations in La Retama Park, in the Ritz Theatre parking lot at the Art Center of Corpus Christi,” she said.