Plan now: annual North Charleston Arts Fest set for April 29-May 3
Free showcase of regional and local artists + performers
Are you getting excited? The 43rd annual North Charleston Arts Fest is just weeks away, set to take place April 29-May 3.
The celebration of arts and culture highlights the talents of regional and local artists and performers in the areas of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and literature. Performances, activities, and exhibits take place in a variety of venues throughout the city of North Charleston with free admission for all. Residents and visitors can enjoy concerts, dance performances, theatre presentations, art demonstrations, kid’s programs, a variety of exhibitions, an Arty Block Party, and more.
Here is a quick rundown of what to expect.
The 2026 poster designed by Mary Glenn Keadle. Click image to enlarge.
Exhibit Hall C at the Charleston Area Convention Center will host the Arts Fest’s Judged Art & Photography, South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft, and Tri-County Youth Art & High School Sculpture Competitions & Exhibitions during the entire run of the festival, April 29-May 3. Viewing hours are Wednesday, April 29, 6-8 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, April 3-May 2, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 3, noon-5 p.m. Award winners of the competitions will be acknowledged at 6:30 p.m. during the Arts Fest Opening Celebration on Wednesday, April 29. The event, which takes place from 6-8 p.m., features food, music, and more, set among the hundreds of pieces of artwork on display. The Exhibition Encore on Sunday, May 3, from 2-5 p.m., serves as a closing reception, allowing patrons to view the artwork in a festive atmosphere and make final decisions on purchases. In addition to a final look at the exhibits, the event offers musical entertainment, fiber art demos, and complimentary “bites and bubbles.”
Other visual art highlights include a solo exhibit at Park Circle Gallery featuring paintings by the Arts Fest’s poster design competition winner Mary Glenn Keadle, who is also a current Emerging Artist grantee of the S.C. Arts Commission. The 20th Annual National Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition will be installed at North Charleston Riverfront Park. North Charleston City Hall will display the 19th Annual African American Fiber Art Exhibition – Regal Threads: the Majesty of Blue and Purple throughout the festival dates and beyond, remaining on display until June 14, 2026.
Music, theatre, and dance offerings during this year’s Arts Fest run the gamut. Concerts range from choral and kalimba to rock and reggae, and take place in a variety of venues, including libraries, a chapel, and local businesses.
The World Dance Showcase at the Park Circle Community Building will be held from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 2. The event showcases traditional, folk, and modern dances of cultures from around the world by local performers in vibrant costumes. This venue will also host a live recording of 1940’s-style radio show by Shortwave Kitsch (April 30), a high-energy magic show by North Carolina-based magician Fletcher Roberts (May 1) and a dance matinee performance featuring Jessie Natusch Dance Works and Impermanent Gallery and (May 3). The Colour of Music Festival returns to the Eternal Father of the Sea Chapel on the former Charleston Naval Base at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, showcasing Felix Mendelssohn’s String Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, along with other classical gems spanning the evolution of early classical music. And, of course, the performing and visual arts come together at the Arts Fest Arty Block Party on Saturday, May 2, from 5-8:30 p.m. on East Montague Avenue. The street art market features vendor booths with local artists, makers, and arts-related businesses and organizations, live Latin music by the Marcell Portilla Band (5-6:30 p.m.) and Roots Reggae by Mystic Vibrations (7-8:30pm), along with a variety of roving entertainers.
Complete details about the five-day event are available at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com. Applications are currently being accepted for vendor space at the Arty Block Party. Entry instructions for the Festival’s Judged Fine Art Exhibition, Judged Photography Exhibition, Tri-County Youth Art Exhibition, and Tri-County High School Sculpture Exhibition, as well as volunteer sign-up forms are also available. Forms can be downloaded at NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com/apply.