Artsplosure

The Raleigh Arts Festival

Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival returns to Downtown Raleigh May 17 & 18, 2025!

Artsplosure's Raleigh Arts Festival is one of the most original and longest running arts festivals in North Carolina. Held annually on the third weekend of May in beautiful downtown Raleigh, the festival is a 2 day event and features an Art Market comprised of approximately 175 juried visual artists from across the United States showcasing works in ceramics, glass, fiber art, jewelry, metal, painting, photography, wood and more. The festival presents national and regional entertainment on two stages, provides arts-based activities for children, and presents large-scale temporary art installations each year. Annual festival attendance averages 85,000+.

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Art Market

Art Market Hours

Saturday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Sunday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Explore the eclectic, award-winning Art Market featuring over 175 juried fine artists and craftspeople exhibiting original works of art in 11 different categories. All will be available for purchase, including painting, photography, pottery, jewelry, woodwork, and more.

Please note that the Art Market will be open from 10:00 - 11:00 AM on Sunday specifically for patrons with accessibility needs.

Click To Apply To 2025 Art Market

Featured Artists

2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!
2025 Artists Coming Soon!

Performances

Club Cardio: 11:00am-12:00pm
The River Otters: 12:30pm-1:30pm
Squonk Opera: 1:30pm and 4:30pm
Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Sabrosura: 3:30pm-4:30pm
Charly Lowry: 5:00pm-6:00pm
Sun Ra Arkestra: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Vinyasa Core Focused Flow with Doug Watson: 11:00am-11:45am
Paradise Motel Lounge: 12:15pm-1:00pm
Squonk Opera: 1:00pm and 3:30pm
Zach Person: 1:30pm-2:10pm
Yasmin Williams: 2:35pm-3:40pm
Cha Wa: 4:00pm-4:45pm
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber: 5:00pm-6:00pm

Check Out The Festival Playlist!

Installations

What if you could have a custom song written about your life by the best songwriters around? Step into the Song Confessional at Artsplosure and provide an anonymous confession on the spot to be recorded – and it just might inspire a new hit song! Today’s top bands and songwriters turn anonymous stories into new original songs.

Each episode features the “confession” that inspires the original song, the song premiere, and an interview with the songwriter. Song Confessional is hosted by Walker Lukens and Zac Catanzaro and is a collaboration with KUTX radio in Austin, Texas.

songconfessional.com

Hand to Hand is propelled by 2 giant puppet hands, each the size of a house and rigged like a sailing ship, and music that blows the roof off. The Squonkers, dwarfed by the hands, climb a multi-tiered stage. Music rises from a single finger flicking an organ key, as natural an expression of humanity as a wave or a fist.

Squonk’s original progressive rock drives a journey that is spectacular, plaintive, and comic. In this melee, the giant thumbs detach to become truly opposable and challenge each other with guitars. Audience members come together to grab the rigging, each individual powering a larger movement of giant fingers, a web of connections, a single dance. We want to encourage shared discovery, people face to face, festive, and making a community of the imagination. Hand to Hand.

Co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C), Artscape (Baltimore, MD), Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (Pittsburgh, PA), Moraine Valley Fine & Performing Arts Center (Chicago, IL), FirstWorks (Providence, RI), and Discovery Green (Houston, TX). Created in 2019.

Kidsplosure offers our youngest artists a dedicated space filled with fun art projects, activities, and special performances! See the full schedule below:

KidSplosure

- 10:00: DJ Rickey Smith, DJ Party
- 11:00: Mary Robert McGrath, Choir Director, Wake Forest High School Choir
- 11:30: Elias Gross, Strings Director, Underwood Elementary Strings
- 12:00: Dari Satterwhite, Dance Party
- 1:00: Robert C. Hunter, Band Director, Flaming Flamingos Jazz Combo and Burnin’ Bananas Jazz Combo
- 2:00: Robert C. Hunter, Band Director, Enloe Jazz Band and Enloe Jazz Ambassadors
- 3:00: Cuqui Gorman, Dance Party
- 4:00: DJ Rickey Smith, DJ Party
- 5:00: Cuqui Gorman, Dance Party
- 10:00: DJ Rickey Smith, DJ Party
- 11:00: Anna Armstrong, Choir Director, Burgandy Trimmer, Theater Director, and Catherine Slade, Band Director, Wendell Magnet Magnet Choir, Wendell Magnet Middle Theater, and Wendell Magnet Middle Jazz Band
- 12:00: Chris Cui, Band Director, Green Level High School Jazz Band
- 1:00: Julietha Kimball, Dance Party
- 2:00: Page Newsome, Band Director, Middle Creek High School Band
- 3:00: Cuqui Gorman, Dance Party
- 4:00: DJ Rickey Smith, DJ Party
- 5:00: Cuqui Gorman, Dance Party

Festival Map & Event Information

Artsplosure is held on Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh in the blocks between the State Capital and the Marin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.
If taking public transportation, any Go Raleigh Bus Line that terminates at the Moore Square Go Raleigh Station will bring you within two blocks of the festival footprint.
Street parking is available parallel to the festival footprint and is free on weekends. There are also plentiful parking decks and open air lots within walking distance. All side streets (Davie, Martin, Hargett) between Morgan Street and City Plaza will be closed, as well as Fayetteville Street.
Artsplosure is committed to making its festivals welcoming, accessible, and enriching to all people, including people with disabilities.
The festival is free-to-the-public and presented in a centrally located and accessible location in the heart of the city. Artsplosure offers a wide variety of art and educational programs to satisfy a large range of audience interests. To ensure that all members of the community can experience high quality art, the festival will offer the following services for people with disabilities:
- The festival will take place along Fayetteville and its side streets, which are fully accessible for people with limited mobility. This City of Raleigh-owned property complies with all ADA recommendations and design standards.
- The festival’s designated accessible drop off and entry point will be located on the south side of City Plaza, adjacent to the Marriott Hotel traffic circle, on Fayetteville Street. The City will have all other street entry points barricaded with large trucks, and this location is convenient with easy ingress and egress.
- The juried Art Market will open an hour early at 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 10, for those who require longer to access the festival experience.
- Assistive listening devices, audio description, and sign language interpretation will be provided, if requested by audience members at least seven business days in advance.
- Kidsplosure arts and craft activities are especially designed to be fun and enriching for everyone.
Please take a look through these questions and visit our Facebook and Instagram pages (@Artsplosure) for helpful information.
First Aid
Adjacent to Volunteer Headquarters, located near the intersection of Hargett and Fayetteville Street.
Lost Children Inquiries
Lost children should be taken to the First Aid station, near intersection of Hargett and Fayetteville Street.
For Your Safety
Coolers are not permitted on any Artsplosure site. Dogs are permitted on Fayetteville Street, but please be considerate of others.
Accessibility
Most festival sites are accessible to people with mobility impairments. Accessible toilets are available as indicated on the map. The Art Market will open an hour early at 10:00 am on Sunday for people with limited mobility or other special needs
Merchandise
Commemorative Artsplosure festival tee shirts, posters, and tote bags are available for sale at both information booths on Fayetteville Street during the weekend.
Art Market Questions
How many artists will be selling their work?
170+!
When will the art market be open?
Saturday May 18 – 11am-7pm and Sunday May 19 10am-6pm (10am-11am will be accessible ONLY for those with special needs).
Do I have to bring cash?
Artists are responsible for their own payment methods, but most will accept both cash or credit cards.
Where can I find a list of the artists selling their work?
Check out our highlights on Instagram (@artsplosure) to see all participating artists!
Food & Beverage Questions
Is there water?
Water bottle refill stations will be available at Martin St. and Hargett St.
Is there food?
Yes – food trucks will be available on Martin Street to purchase food from.
Is there alcohol?
Yes – Trophy will offer beer for purchase for patrons 21+ by the stage on Fayetteville street at Morgan street.
Music Stage Questions
What is the musical lineup?
This year the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, Cha Wa, Charly Lowry, Yasmin Williams, Sabrosura, Zach Person, Terrence Simien & The Zydeco Experience, Paradise Motel Lounge, The River Otters, and more!
Where is the stage?
The stage is at the intersection of Morgan Street and Fayetteville Street. Just follow the music!
Do I need a ticket?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! This event has been – and continues to be – FREE to the public for the last 40+ years!
When and where is the event?
Artsplosure is Saturday May 18th and Sunday May 19th. Hours are 11am-7pm on Saturday and 10am-6pm on Sunday. The event is on Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, and runs from Morgan Street (the Capitol) down to City Plaza.
Can I bring my children or pets?
ABSOLUTELY YES! Kids are more than welcome all over the festival and we have Kidsplosure on Hargett Street! Well-behaved and leashed pets are welcome, too!
Where are the bathrooms?
Two bathrooms are located on Wilmington Street at Martin and Davie.
Is this event rain or shine?
YES IT IS!
2024 © Artsplosure – The Raleigh Arts Festival, Inc.
The Artsplosure program is subject to change.

Volunteer

Booth Sitters (Age 18 +)

Persons will be responsible for offering breaks to working artists. Interested persons should enjoy talking with prospective buyers to let them know when the artist will return. Volunteers will not make sales for artists on their breaks.

Check In (Age 21+)

Persons will be responsible to meet with Hannah Liebel to direct artists to their set up location. Applicants should have strong conflict resolution skills and be willing to cheerfully greet incoming artists and helpfully answer their questions.

Check Out (Age 21+)

Persons will be responsible to pass out exit tickets to artists at the close of the event. Applicants should be willing to approach artists as the event closes to provide their check out ticket. Cheerfulness and understanding is a must.

Children’s Activity Helpers (Age 15+)

Persons will be responsible to work at a children’s craft booth, provide instruction and assistance in completing crafts, keeping the booth tidy and managing clean up. Children will be accompanied by their parent or guardian. A willingness to chat with families and explain the processes is a must.

Hospitality (Age 15+)

Persons will be responsible for providing refreshments to the artists and children’s booth workers. Interested persons should wear good walking shoes and be able to walk for the duration of the shift, pulling a wagon with water and snacks.

General Helpers (Age 15+)

Persons will be responsible for filling in where needed. They will also be asked to promote digital surveys for feedback concerning the festival. Volunteers should wear good walking shoes and feel comfortable talking to festival attendees.

Apply To Volunteer