Bayou City Art Festival, produced by Art Colony Association (ACA), will transform Downtown Houston into a lively outdoor gallery and interactive art event with more art, entertainment, and an intimate culinary art and tasting experience with some of Houston’s top chefs for the annual Bayou City Art Festival Downtown.
The weekend festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, 2025, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. in Sam Houston Park and along Allen Parkway.
The Bayou City Art Festival Downtown will spotlight the festival’s featured artist Gwendolyn Redfern, a watercolor artist from Raliegh, NC, along with 250 artists from across the country. As one of the top art festivals in the U.S., Bayou City Art Festival will provide patrons with the opportunity to personally meet artists, view original works, and purchase artwork from 19 art disciplines including world-class paintings, prints, jewelry, sculptures and more at prices for everyone.
For art-loving foodies, Bayou City Art Festival will celebrate culinary arts with the returning Chef’s Table. Each chef will demonstrate a signature recipe and provide samples to attendees after each demonstration. The Chef’s Table demonstration schedule will begin at Noon each day and will include chefs from Maven, Bashi, Anonymous Café, The Texas Cut, Tavola, Cotton Culinary, Chella, and Opayummy Catering.
Bayou City Art Festival will also feature onsite food trucks catering to everyone’s taste buds. A list of food vendors and food trucks can be found here. Patrons can enjoy Houston’s skyline views while hanging out at the festival’s craft beer garden and wine garden.
In the Active Imagination Zone, guests of all ages can play with oversized bubbles, visit with caricature artist Bonnie Blue, and create art with the festival’s nonprofit partners. A portion of the proceeds from the 2025 Bayou City Art Festival Downtown will benefit the festival’s nonprofit partners including ArtReach, Pink Bows Foundation, The Women’s Fund, The Health Museum, Indigo Grupo De Teatro, and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Bayou City Art Festival will also showcase the Collegiate Art Collective, a collection of art from four Houston-area college art students of University of Houston Downtown, University of Houston, Houston Community College, and Rice University. An exhibition of student artwork composed of the top 30 finalists from the 12th Annual Middle School Art Competition will also be featured during the festival culminating with an award ceremony for the students, and their families, for the awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as recognizing the winner of the “People’s Choice Award” on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 1 p.m.
Guests can step inside the world of “Wicked” and the Wizard of Oz near the Active Imagination Zone in lower Sam Houston Park as the gazebo is transformed into the Land of Oz. Complete with a giant pink shoe, sparkly pink purse, life-sized throne, a yellow brick road, heart-shaped ball pit, and a witchy dress up station ready for selfies along with art activities and coloring pages.
Guests are invited to experience art and nonstop live entertainment at the Stella Artois Mainstage and KPRC 2 Hitch Stage near the Wine Garden. Click here for Bayou City Art Festival’s entertainment schedule.
For the ultimate art lover, Bayou City Art Festival will offer a limited availability VIP Hospitality Lounge, which will include complimentary light bites, beer, wine, and other refreshments. The relaxing setting under a canopy of trees will feature roaming musicians, artistic décor, and more. VIPs will receive access from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to the VIP area, and VIP parking.
Online tickets are available at www.bayoucityartfestival.com for $20 for adults and children are $5. General admission weekend passes are available for $30 each. VIP tickets are $75, and a weekend VIP pass is $120. Online pre-purchased tickets are required to enter the festival. Physical tickets will not be sold at the gate, and tickets can only be purchased online.
For the most recent updates, follow the official event hashtags #HouArtFest and #BCAF, like the Facebook page, or follow on Instagram.
About Bayou City Art Festival:
Since the founding of the Westheimer Art Festival, now known as Bayou City Art Festival, the Art Colony Association, Inc. has raised close to $4 million for local nonprofit programs from the proceeds of its festivals. Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park in the spring and Bayou City Art Festival Downtown in the fall has provided a venue for more than 20,000 artists to showcase their work to thousands of art lovers from all over the world. The festivals are funded in part by grants from the City of Houston via the Houston Arts Alliance, corporate sponsorships, private contributions, in-kind support, and volunteer assistance.
For more information, please visit www.bayoucityartfestival.com