West Main Arts Festival

One of the city’s arts festivals will have a whole new look this year, including a colorful new activity sponsored by Downtown Arlington and a new location in the Cultural District. The call to go west has wooed the West Main Arts Festival on Saturday, May 8.

Formerly the East Main Arts Festival, this year festival organizers relocated the event from the eastern to western side of Main Street in Downtown to create adjacencies with Create Arlington, Arlington Museum of Art, and other businesses, cultural entities and parking.

West Main Arts Festival will feature over 75 local artists and vendors along a three-block stretch of Main Street. Artists will be exhibiting and selling original work in a variety of media including painting, sculpting, and pottery. There will be live music and entertainment throughout the day from two performing arts stages.

As a part of Downtown Arlington’s sponsorship of the 2021 West Main Arts Festival, brother and sister team Lucas and Mary Dooley will be creating three different chalk art designs on the sidewalks along the festival grounds.

You’re invited to chalk right along with them. Chalk will be provided, just check in at the Downtown Arlington sponsor booth at the festival to pick up free chalk and a free copy of the Downtown Arlington coloring book (for inspiration) while supplies last.

Even though West Main Arts Festival is an outdoor event, masks are recommended for all who attend. Parking and admission is free. Families and pets are welcome.

Find more information on the festival’s Facebook event page. Downtown Arlington, in partnership with Create Arlington, will be providing a Facebook Live stream of some of the live music, sponsor information, chalk art demos, and other artist activities from West Main Arts Festival.