LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival is honored to be a part of Tallahassee’s cultural identity for 26 years!
Learn about the Chain of Parks Art Festival
LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival is North Florida’s top outdoor fine art festival, nationally ranked in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s Top 100 for 11 years. This free, two-day event draws tens of thousands from across the Southeast to downtown Tallahassee’s oak-lined Park Avenue, just east of Monroe Street, to enjoy original artwork by artists from across the country.
In addition to fine art, the Festival features live music, local food trucks, chalk artists, heritage art, a lively Festival Bar, family-friendly fun, kids’ art activities, exhibits, and a silent auction.
Returning in 2026: FSU’s Opening Nights and the Chain of Parks Art Festival will present their 6th featured artist, Noah Verrier, on Thursday, April 16 — a special collaboration made possible by the Laurie and Kelly Dozier Endowment.
On Sunday, April 19, from 2:30-3pm, the Rickards Raiders high school marching band will do a musical procession performance through the parks to close out the Festival weekend. You don’t want to miss it!
The Art
The Festival was established in 2001 to present an outdoor festival of high-quality original fine artwork and entertainment for the enjoyment of Tallahassee-area residents and visitors, while fostering the careers of local and regional artists.
Today, the Festival remains artist-focused — celebrating creativity, accessibility, and community! Over 300 artists apply annually, but only 150 are selected through a careful jury process to showcase a balanced mix of fine and heritage art across a variety of mediums and price points. With $10,000+ in awards, the Festival supports both emerging and established artists — many of whom call it one of their most important shows of the year.
Set beneath the live oaks of downtown Tallahassee’s beautiful parks, the Festival is so engaging that most visitors attend both days. While we welcome returning favorites, new artists join each year, drawn by the Festival’s reputation and the warmth of our supportive, art-loving community
Heritage & Folk Art Addition
The Heritage Art Row is a dedicated shady section of the Festival featuring self-identified folk and heritage artists showcasing traditional techniques and fine craft along Tunnicliff Lane, leading to LeMoyne’s gallery and gardens. This category includes an Award of Merit and reflects the Festival’s commitment to honoring diverse art forms.
Understanding Fine Art vs. Craft:
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Fine art is a creative expression that combines mastery, talent, and emotion to evoke a personal or emotional response. It typically involves classical training, mastery of traditional techniques, and use of high-quality materials. Fine art explores ideas and concepts, valued for both their aesthetic impact and deeper meaning.
Craft is a form of work that results in a tangible output, often repeatable over and over. A fine craft can be learned from considerable practice and developed into a world-class form. Patrons are inspired by the skill to create the piece rather than a reaction to the subject matter.
Understanding Folk/ Heritage Art:
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“Folk Art”/ “Heritage Art” is defined as a decorative or practical piece of artwork that showcases traditional techniques from a specific culture or region. Folk Art is usually unique to the people of a specific heritage and is viewed as an expression of society. Folk art is steeped in grassroots history and often distinguished from academic, commercial, and Western “Fine Art”. Folk Art is frequently demonstrated through fine craftsmanship, utilitarian and ornamental media, color, and texture, showcasing artistic expression from a non-classically trained artist.
Chalk Art Oasis
Located at a prime entrance of the Festival, the Chalk Art Oasis is surrounded by food vendors, cooling stations, live music, and lush plants donated by Just Fruits & Exotics, creating a refreshing “Oasis” in this sunny area.
Immerse yourself in this vibrant section of the Festival all weekend long; there, you can observe four professional street artists create stunning “3D” anamorphic North-Florida-themed designs on the pavement, underwritten by Visit Tallahassee and generously hosted by Ron Sachs and Gay Webster Sachs.
These temporary masterpieces offer exciting, interactive photo opportunities that are perfect for fun social media posts. Attendees love to visit the street artists throughout the weekend to observe their progress and take photos.
Be sure to stop by the LeMoyne Arts Outreach tent, where you can learn about membership, summer camps, enter a raffle, create unique scratch art pieces, and contribute to a collaborative chalkboard masterpiece! Visitors can also engage with the upcycled Garden Guardians sculpture exhibit and silent auction.
The Children’s Park
The popular and family-friendly Children’s Park, located in Randolph Park, is curated by the Retired Art Teachers of Tallahassee. The Children’s Park provides child-appropriate activities and experiences, including engaging art-making activities, chalk art, face painting, live entertainment, demonstrations, and games. Families enjoy the Jacques Le Moyne encampment and interactive Local Culture tents, which are filled with fun educational opportunities, bringing the best of the “museum” to the park. It’s FREE and FUN!
The purpose of this area is to offer artistic experiences for children and promote organizations that support the arts and local heritage in our community. We want to get children excited about the arts and allow their families to learn about what our community has to offer.
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The Children’s Park is a highly interactive part of the Festival that provides opportunities for community connections with festival visitors. The purpose of this area is to offer artistic experiences for children and promote organizations that support the arts and local heritage in our community. We want to get children excited about the arts and allow their families to learn about what our community has to offer.
Community Corner
The Community Corner features our Community Partners (local non-profits), Brand Ambassadors (local businesses), and Host-level Sponsor Booths. These participants are located at the key entrance to the Festival on our Reid Gunn Lane (off of Monroe St. in front of Il Lusso restaurant). As part of our “Greening the Festival” effort, visitors are able to learn about environmental sustainability from organizations like Sustainable Tallahassee. We loved seeing visitors walking around with their FREE reusable tote bag from Rags2Bags full of festival goodies!
Entertainment
Our Main Stage, located in Center Court on Calhoun, features a dynamic lineup of local bands, singer-songwriters, and beloved performing arts groups. We prioritize performance slots for Leon County School student groups, giving young talent the chance to shine in a professional Festival setting. Many performers generously donate their time and talent to make the weekend unforgettable.
Pop-up performances throughout the Children’s Park Stage and Chalk Art Oasis music tent keep the energy flowing all weekend long — another great reason to attend both days.
To close out the weekend on Sunday, April 19, don’t miss the joyful marching band procession through the parks!
2025 Food Vendors - 2026 will be announced in March!
Lewis Park:
- Argonaut Coffee
Main Food Court:
- Milo’s Mediterranean
- The Dancing Empanada
- Hot Diggity Dog
- Big Whipp’s Kitchen
- Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck
- A Taste of Mexico
- Indian Kitchen
- Street Chefs
Children’s Park:
- Tallahassee Nutty Bavarian
- Fina Ice Co.
- Gurlie’s Lemonade & Sweets
Chalk Art Oasis:
- LaSalle St Carnival Food
- MozzArepas
- Sheepdog Kettle Corn
- Irie Ice
Souvenirs
Visit the Souvenir Tent to find your favorite festival souvenirs for the 2026 festival, featuring a custom cover-art piece (to be announced in January).
- T-shirts
- Long Sleeve Shirts & Light Hoodies
- Embroidered Festival Logo Hats
- BBQ Two-Pocket Apron
- Handmade Festival Banner Totes
- Stainless Steel Thermal Water Bottles
- Coffee Mug
- Notecards (5 pack)
- Signed Festival Posters (limited edition)
- Vintage T-shirts (limited supply)
- 500 Piece Puzzles
- Cotton Tea Towels
- Koozies
Vintage items can be seen at LeMoyne Arts in our Gallery Shop Tuesday – Saturday from 11am – 6pm. 125 N. Gadsden St. Tallahassee, FL 32301
Did you know?
QUICK GUIDES TO THE FESTIVAL
Where to Stay: Local Hotels
Find Artists from Previous Years
2025 Festival Map
Festival Dates & Times
TOP 100 FINE ART FESTIVAL BY SUNSHINE MAGAZINE
Recognitions
The Chain of Parks Art Festival is proud to be one of the most highly acclaimed art festivals in the country. Recently ranked as the #1 Art Festival of 2024 by Sunshine Artist Magazine and #7 nationwide, the festival continues to attract art lovers and collectors from near and far. Additionally, the Tallahassee Democrat awarded the festival the title of “Best Local Event,” a testament to the strong community support and exceptional experience it brings to the area. These accolades reflect the festival’s commitment to showcasing outstanding artists and creating memorable experiences year after year.