Bayou City Art Festival Returns to Downtown Houston with More Art, Entertainment, and Culinary Arts and Tasting Experience
Bayou City Art Festival, produced by Art Colony Association (ACA), is transforming 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, October 14-15, 2023, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. in Sam Houston Park and along Allen Parkway.
Bayou City Art Festival will celebrate culinary arts with the returning Chef’s Table. Each chef will demonstrate a signature recipe and pass out samples to attendees after each demonstration. The Chef’s Table demonstration schedule includes:
Saturday, October 14, 2023
- 12 p.m. – Georgia James Chef Greg Peters
- 1:30 p.m. – George’s Bistro & Bar Chef Fernando Huerta
- 3 p.m. – Musaafer Chef Mayank Istwal
- 4:30 p.m. – Birrio Los Primos Chef Oscar Garcia
Sunday, October 15, 2023
- 12 p.m. – Three Keys Coffee Chef Eric Tobar
- 1:30 p.m. – Cotton Culinary Chef Wade Schindler
- 3 p.m. – MaKiin Chef Aphassorn “Bell” Predawan
- 4:30 p.m. – Wolfgang Puck Catering Chef Larry de la Flor
The Bayou City Art Festival Downtown will spotlight the festival’s featured artist Michelle McDowell Smith, a mixed media artist from Roanoke, VA 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.
Guests are invited to experience art and nonstop live entertainment at the Stella Artois Main Stage and at the KPRC 2 Hitch Stage. Click here for Bayou City Art Festival’s entertainment schedule.
For art-loving foodies, Bayou City Art Festival will feature onsite food trucks catering to everyone’s taste buds. A list of food vendors and food trucks can be found here.
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. Patrons can enjoy Houston’s skyline views while hanging out at the festival’s craft beer garden and wine garden.
Bayou City Art Festival will also showcase the Collegiate Art Collective, a collection of art composed of four Houston-area college art students. The colleges that will be represented at Bayou City Art Festival include the University of Houston, Houston Community College, and Rice University.
Step inside the Barbie Dream House area near the Active Imagination Zone in lower Sam Houston Park as the gazebo is transformed into Barbie Land complete with a giant pink shoe, sparkly pink purse, life-sized Barbie doll boxes, and a pink convertible all ready for selfies along with art activities and a dress up area for the kids of all ages.
A portion of the proceeds from the 50th Annual Bayou City Art Festival Downtown will benefit the festival’s nonprofit partners including ArtReach, Fresh Arts, Pink Bows Foundation, Second Servings, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The Women’s Fund for Health Education and Resiliency.
For the ultimate art lover, Bayou City Art Festival will offer a limited availability VIP Hospitality Lounge presented by Frost Bank, 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, a phone charging station, 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 all children under the age of 12 are free thanks to the Kids Free Program sponsored by Champion Energy Services. VIP tickets are $75. 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.
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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 more than $3.6 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 through the Houston Arts Alliance, corporate sponsorships, private contributions, in-kind support and volunteer assistance.
For more information, please visit www.artcolonyassociation.org.