Participate
Thank you for your interest in participating in the Chain of Parks Art Festival!
2025 applications are available early!
Deadline: Feb. 2, 2025
Please be sure to carefully read through each category to find the one that’s right for you
ART IN BLOOM
Call-to-Artists: Upcycled Planter Design Proposals
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A sketch or descriptive design proposal with supporting images. We encourage you to include supporting photo examples to help the committee understand your style and concept, i.e., images of your previous artwork, materials you plan to use, inspirational images, etc.
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Marketing info for a social media campaign and exhibit signage (brief artist statement, bio, and high-resolution headshot photo).
PAYMENT DETAILS & BENEFITS:
- $100 stipend to cover material and other expenses (upon delivery of the sculpture)
- Extensive marketing exposure as a participating artist in the public exhibit
- A chance to win $100 People’s Choice Award (voting takes place at the Festival)
The jury is looking for whimsical, creative, thought-provoking, unique, sustainable, weather-resistant, planter sculptures with a focus on utilizing upcycled materials to help with our Greening message and efforts. Not a sculptor? No problem! You can use an upcycled planter as your base, or, you can sculpt it completely from scratch! It’s up to you. Mixed media is welcome. Feel free to join forces and create your masterpiece with a partner or small group! Just make sure to add all their information to the application so we can give them proper credit within our marketing efforts.
- Application Deadline: Feb. 2, 11:59pm
- Jury Result Notification: First week of Feb. (or sooner)
- Progress/Behind-the-Scenes Photos: March 3rd
- Completed Sculpture Drop-off at LeMoyne Arts: Monday, March 24
- Downtown Sculpture Public Exhibit: March 25 – April 25
- Auction Set-Up: Friday, April 25
- Event Dates: April 26 & 27
- Silent Auction & Award Voting at the Festival: April 26 (10am-5pm) and April 27 (10am-2pm). Awards will be announced by 3:30pm on Sunday.
APPLY NOW
Celebrating 25 years, LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival returns on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 & 27, 2025, in downtown Tallahassee’s “Chain of Parks”.
Expect to have a first-class, fun-filled outdoor cultural experience at the Chain of Parks Art Festival, in downtown Tallahassee! Visitors can view and purchase unique works of fine art from over 150 national juried artists in a delightful Southern outdoor setting. while enjoying a weekend filled with live 3-D street art, live entertainment by local bands and performing arts groups, children’s art activities and family fun, local heritage re-enactments, delicious local food, craft beer & cocktails. Nationally ranked in the Top 100 Fine Art Festivals by Sunshine Artist Magazine for 10 years running, this annual two-day festival draws tens of thousands of people from the Big Bend Southeast region to experience all of the fun and see fine artists who have traveled from all over the country to display their original works of art.
Apply to be a Community Partner, Children’s Pop-Up Studio, Local Heritage Booth, Interactive Art Vendor, Brand Ambassador, Food Vendor, Street/ Chalk Artist, or Entertainer!
- Application deadline: Feb. 2, 11:59pm
- Late Application: Feb. 15, 11:59pm (Late Applications will be considered if there is room for an additional fee).
- Event Set-Up: Friday, April 25
- Event Dates: April 26 & 27
- Event Times: Saturday from 10am – 5pm, Sunday, from 10am – 4pm
Acceptance notifications: First week of February or sooner
The Children’s Park:
Hosted by The Apalachee Center
Participate in the Children’s Park, which is a highly interactive part of the Festival that provides opportunities for community connections with our visitors. The purpose of this area is to offer artistic experiences for children and promote organizations that support the arts and heritage in our community. We want to get children excited about the arts and give their families an opportunity to learn about what our community has to offer.
The Children’s Park incorporates Pop-Up Studios, Interactive Art Vendors, Heritage Booths, the historical Jacques Le Moyne Encampment, Pop-up Entertainers, fun snack foods, and more!
- Outreach opportunities to an estimated 35,000+ visitors to the Festival interested in art.
- Listing in the Festival Program distributed to hotels, sponsors, and at the Festival.
- Entrance sign listing your organization & activity.
- One reserved Parking Pass.
- Digital Festival recognition for pre-show promotion.
Pop-Up Studios: Free
- Pop-up Studios in the Festival are interactive art-making spaces presented by organizations that provide a children’s art activity and visually engaging booth for up to 500-800 kids during the Festival weekend.
- There is no charge to the organization to participate so resources can go toward providing staffing, supplies for children’s activities, and tent decorations (there is a fully refundable $100 deposit).
- The Festival provides a 10×10 white tent in the park, 2 tables, 6 chairs, and colorful bunting around the tent’s edge. The Children’s Park will also be decorated creating a welcoming setting for families to visit.
- This is an opportunity for your organization to promote the work you do through interactions with the kids and their families and through branded décor and materials.
- The Festival encourages organizations to provide eco-friendly art activities using upcycled materials to promote sustainability.
Local Heritage Booths: Free
- Located in the Children’s Park next to the Pop-up Studios (where organizations provide a children’s art activity and visually engaging booth), we have added several 10×10 white tents dedicated to sharing historical information about our region from different cultures, called “Local Heritage Booths”.
- We are primarily interested in featuring groups that focus on local and regional heritage education. We want visitors to learn about the history of our beautiful city, so we are primarily looking for applications that relate back to different cultures within our community.
- There is no charge to the organization to participate so resources can go toward providing staffing and supplies for children’s activities and tent decorations (there is a fully refundable $100 deposit). Each tent should be decorated to represent your culture, offer educational materials, and an interactive activity of some kind.
- The Festival provides a 10×10 white tent in the park, 2 tables, and 4 chairs. You will be responsible for creating a welcoming and visually appealing space.
- We welcome Heritage Booth participants to read stories and perform cultural dances or skits on our small Children’s Park stage. The more vibrant your presentation is, the more fun and engaging the experience is for everyone!
Interactive Art Vendors: Participation Fee
This is a limited opportunity for face painters, henna artists, hair weavers, caricature artists, and other kid-friendly interactive art skills.
This is an opportunity to show off your artistic talent, interact with Festival visitors, and be compensated for your work.
The Community Corner:
The Community Corner features our Community Partners (local non-profits), Brand Ambassadors (local businesses), and Host-level Sponsor Booths that provide FREE interactive activities and information. These participants are located at the key entrance to the Festival on our Reid Gunn Lane (off Monroe St. in front of Il Lusso restaurant). The purpose of this area is to promote non-profit organizations that promote sustainability and support the arts & culture in our community. The Community Corner welcomes festivalgoers as they begin their exploration of the Festival and provides opportunities for community connections to an estimated 35-40,000+ enthusiastic visitors over the Festival weekend!
We love our Community Partners! Participation Fee
- Community Partners include local non-profits that bring fun educational activities to engage visitors in hands-on interactions to broaden their experiences and knowledge.
- Community Partners pay $100 to have a 10×10 booth space to share information about their organization and mission.
- Community Partners cannot sell anything except for memberships. They are welcome to hand out information packets and flyers.
Be a Brand Ambassador! Participation Fee
Brand Ambassadors enjoy the opportunity to engage with our estimated 35-40,000+ art enthusiastic visitors about their business!
- Brand Ambassadors pay $500 for a 10×10 booth space to interact with the public and talk about your offerings.
- Please note: you are not allowed to sell goods or services, but you are allowed to provide attendees with hand-outs, make appointments, and share mailing list information.
- Booths must have an interactive activity, like a group art project, raffle, or game.
Performing Arts:
- Performers receive exposure to thousands of visitors at the Festival.
- A performance listing in the Festival’s printed 36-page program, social media and website performance schedule, and entrance signs.
- A table space by the performance area to promote future performances and to sell CD’s, merch, and sign autographs.
- Inclusion in pre-event marketing campaigns.
- A drink ticket at the Main Bar for performers over 21, and a scoop of ice cream voucher for performers under 21 (thanks to Johnny’s Home Made Ice Cream).
There are 3 performance spaces:
The Main Stage:
Our Main Stage is located in the Center Court on Calhoun St. and features a variety of local bands, aspiring singer/songwriters, dance troupes, and other crowd-pleasing local performing arts groups.
- This section includes the City’s Showmobile and a sound engineer.
- Leon County student performance groups and larger bands that require sound support will be prioritized for this area.
Children’s Park:
This is the perfect spot for interactive, kid-friendly solo/ duo acts, student groups, storybook tellers, educational demonstrations, performance artists, etc.
- This is in a grassy, shaded area with a tent and access to a basic mic and amp. We do not have professional sound support in this area, all performers need to be self-sufficient. We are looking into getting a small platform, but that is not confirmed yet.
The Chalk Artist Oasis:
We create a nature-themed “Oasis” surrounding our professional chalk artists with plants and shade for visitors to observe their progress in a beautiful space (on Calhoun St). There is also a sculpture silent auction, food vendors, and the LeMoyne Arts outreach tent in this area. Ideal for solo/ small-group performers to set the mood and make this a welcoming area.
This is a paved sunny area by a main Festival entrance. We provide a tent and access to basic power. We do not have professional sound support in this area, all performers need to be self-sufficient.
Call-to-Street/Chalk-Artists!
The Festival features four nationally recognized street artists who create “3D“ anamorphic masterpieces from temporary paint and chalk during the festival weekend, underwritten by Visit Tallahassee. These live-action works of art create a lot of excitement amongst the visitors and offer interactive photo opportunities, ideal for sharing on social media in our “Chalk Art Oasis”. This section of the Festival is located at a key entrance, surrounded by donated plants, live entertainment, food vendors, a silent auction, and more! Attendees love to visit the street artists throughout the weekend to observe their progress and take photos. We are looking for exciting North-Florida-themed design proposals (you may submit as many as you like for consideration). The jury is looking for whimsical, creative, artful, unique, and interactive designs that will lend to fun photo ops and will reflect our beautiful region.
Financial Structure (thanks to Visit Tallahassee & hotel partners):
- The Festival will write a $1,500 check for each selected artist. This payment can be used as travel reimbursement and payment for the art piece. The check will be provided at the end of the event, April 27, 2025, unless other arrangements have been made.
- The Festival will provide a hotel room
- The Festival will purchase each artist’s requested art supplies and materials ($100 max budget).
- Chalk Artists will have access to the “Behind the Scenes” area where a light breakfast and lunch will be provided over the festival weekend.
Creation time-frames:
- The roads close at 12pm on Friday, April 25. There will still be some vendors loading into the Festival, but street artists can start preparing their area anytime after 2pm.
- The Festival is open to the public from Saturday, April 26 from 10am – 5pm and Sunday, April 27 from 10am – 4pm.
- Chalk Artists are expected to get to the parks by 7:30am on Saturday so that attendees will have progress to look at when they arrive.
- Chalk Artists are expected to complete their main design by 12pm on Sunday.
Design Parameters:
- Artists will have a 10W x 20L area (on a semi-flat asphalt road) to create either 1 large design or 2 smaller designs.
- The design(s) must be large enough for 2 people to pose/ interact with the piece.
- The design(s) should have the optical illusion of being 3-D for attendees to pose with.
- The design(s) should be inspired by North Florida/ Tallahassee/ Fine Art themes (nature, local landmarks, celebrated historical figures, etc).
Click HERE to learn more & apply.
Food & Beverages:
- Opportunity to feed an average of 15-17K visitors on Saturday and 10-12k on Sunday (depending on weather and football games).
- Listing in the 36-page Festival Program distributed to hotels, sponsors, and at the Festival.
- Digital Festival recognition for pre-show promotion.
- We prioritize local food vendors who provide quality goods, are easy to communicate with, and follow our guidelines.
- As a fine arts festival, we prioritize booths and trucks that have attractive curbside appeal and avoid set-ups that are more appropriate for a carnival/ fair.
- We are looking for grab-and-go meals and snacks, not packaged food accessories (i.e. jars of honey/ jam, hot sauce, dog treats, etc.)
- We avoid duplicating offerings so that visitors have a wide variety of options. Feedback from our attendees is that they are not only looking for sweets but healthy options as well! Many visitors request vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
- See the application for additional information and review carefully before applying.
Very well organized, clear communication, great turn-out. ~Robin C. (artist)