Press Releases
Topics of Interest Quick Find Links:
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kathy Bentaieb, Festival Publicist
408-836-8093
POPULAR PALO ALTO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS RETURNS AUG. 22-23, WITH 250 FINE ARTISTS, LIVE MUSIC AND NEW ARTISTRY IN ACTION
43rd Annual Festival Features Visual and Performance Art, Including Italian Street Painting Expo, Kids’ Chalk-a-Lot, Chopin & Chandeliers ‘Play Me’ Piano and Multiple Music Stages
PALO ALTO, Calif. (July 7, 2026) – The Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, the very popular fine art and entertainment festival along nine blocks of downtown’s tree-lined University Avenue, returns for its 43rd year from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 22-23, 2026. Proudly hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce with support of the City of Palo Alto, this stunning, multifaceted art showcase spans all mediums, from 250 booths of unique fine art to live music to an Italian street painting expo. New this year is Artistry in Action, live demos by artists showing a variety of techniques, on the plaza near Tasso and University.
“It’s so gratifying to see the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts continue to grow and thrive in our community,” said Charlie Weidanz, president and CEO of the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, the Festival’s host. “The exhibitors are one of the reasons this festival attracts such a high percentage of fine artists each year, whose work you will see only at select West Coast shows. It’s always a great experience for residents, as well as our participating artists, sponsors, musicians and vendors. It’s also a wonderful way to support local non-profits, such as the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto, Ada’s Café and Youth Community Service.”
250 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
The backbone of the festival and the key to its success are the 250 fine artists whose display booths are placed along University Avenue. These exhibitors are one of the reasons this festival attracts such a high percentage of fine artists whose work you'll see at only a few select shows on the West Coast. From sculpture to glass, photography to wood, metal to ceramics to wearable fiber and more, the fabulous, handcrafted art is perfect for home, office and garden and includes unique and one-of-a-kind art pieces and wearable art.
NEW – ARTISTRY IN ACTION
New to the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts this year, Artistry in Action invites visitors to step inside the creative process through a series of live artist demonstrations taking place throughout the weekend. Artistry in Action is proud to partner with Pacific Art League, one of the Bay Area's longest-standing arts organizations. Since 1921, Pacific Art League has inspired creativity, curiosity, and artistic growth by providing access to high-quality arts education, exhibitions, and community programs for artists of all ages and experience.
Pacific Art League artists and instructors will demonstrate a variety of artistic techniques and mediums, offering visitors an opportunity to observe, ask questions, and gain insight into how works of art come to life. From first sketch to final brushstroke, each demonstration provides a unique window into the artistic journey.
Join us at the corner of University Avenue and Tasso Street and experience the energy, craftsmanship, and imagination that make our creative community thrive.
Participating artists include:
Saturday, Aug. 22
- 12:00–1:30 PM — Emily Sweet (Cyanotype)
- 2:00–3:30 PM — John Spotorno (Watercolor)
- 4:00–5:30 PM — Richard Man (Chinese Calligraphy)
Sunday, Aug. 23
- 12:00–1:30 PM — Robert Dvorak (Watercolor)
- 2:00–3:30 PM — Kelly Hughes (Watercolor)
- 4:00–5:30 PM — Raphael De Soto Jr. (Watercolor)
CHOPIN & CHANDELIERS
Look for Chopin & Chandeliers' interactive “Play Me” piano on Bryant at University Avenue. Presented by Stanford Medicine, Chopin & Chandeliers is surrounded by colorful and whimsical chandeliers, made from recycled plastic bottles. The Community Partner for Chopin & Chandeliers is Christopher Piano. Come play for us!
ITALIAN STREET PAINTING EXPO
Festival attendees will have two full days to become immersed in some exceptional visual and performance art throughout the nine-block festival. The popular Italian Street Painting Expo along Tasso Street will showcase 100-square-foot and larger chalk-art paintings created by 17 amazing artists during the festival's two-day run. Proceeds will go to support Ada’s Café, whose main priority is to create engaging and meaningful career experiences for adults with disabilities. The 2026 Featured Chalk Artist is Marlon Yanes, who specializes in beautiful colorful portraits with fun expressions. This year, all the chalk artists will feature a butterfly somewhere in their designs, symbolizing freedom and growth to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
CHALK-A-LOT FOR KIDS
Kids can get involved, too, by creating their own chalk canvases in the special Chalk-a-Lot area at the end of Tasso off University. For a $10 donation, youths under age 12 can create their own street chalk art. Chalk-a-Lot benefits Youth Community Service, which elevates youth voice to raise community connection and equity through service.
LIVE MUSIC ON MULTIPLE STAGES
A big part of the weekend experience is the wide variety of live musical entertainment, with ongoing performances on two stages at Waverley and at Webster, and several street corner concerts. See the full entertainment lineup here.
The Waverley Stage lineup includes:
Saturday, Aug. 22
11-11:30 AM Palo Alto School of Chamber Music
11:30 AM-1:15 PM Keystone Canyon
1:45 -3:30 PM Jinx Jones
4-6 PM Sheryl and the Pretenders
Sunday, Aug. 23
11:30 AM-1:15 PM Charged Particles
1:45-3:30 PM Vinyl Countdown
4-6 PM Backporchestra
The Webster Stage is presented by California Coast Music Camp
Saturday, Aug. 22
10:30-11:15 AM Elise & Steve
11:45 AM-12:30 PM John Rothenberg & Friends
1-1:45 PM Janet Lenore & the Purple Traders
2:15-3:00 PM Bay Station
3:30-4:15 PM Sara Glaser & Robert Parker
4:45-5:30 PM Midnight Kitchen
Sunday, Aug. 23
10:30-11:15 AM John Higham
11:45-12:30 PM M’EarthTones
1-1:45 PM Steve Kritzer
2-2:45 PM UKE JAM *Bring your ukuleles!
3-3:45 PM Trio of Friends with Deb Cox
4:15-5:15 PM High Tide Trio
Street Corner concerts from noon to 5 p.m. both Aug. 22 and 23 at University and Cowper will feature Bob Culbertson, and at University and Emerson will be Norm Kahan.
FOOD AND DRINK
And, what's a summer festival without plenty of tasty food and beverages? For the wine connoisseur, enjoy a variety of wines and mimosas showcased at the wine booths, or for beer aficionados, your taste buds won't be disappointed. It’s a perfect pairing with the fine art. See the full food and drink vendor list here.
FREE ADMISSION
Admission is free. Plenty of convenient parking surrounds the festival, or better yet, take public transit with drop-off locations within close proximity to University Avenue. For public transit information, visit www.511.org.
Media sponsors include the Mercury News/Bay Area News Group, NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48, and the Palo Alto Weekly.
PLEASE NOTE: The City of Palo Alto has a ban on the use of plastic and paper bags for carrying purchased merchandise. The Chamber of Commerce highly recommends that festival attendees bring their own tote bags for easy transportation of multiple purchases. Also, please be kind to your pets and leave them at home.
For more details, please visit www.paloaltochamber.com/festival or call 650-324-3121.
About the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce
The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce is located in a unique community: a college town with excellent public and private schools, beautiful residential areas and tree-lined shopping districts, a world-class university and top healthcare institutions, and exciting arts and culture scene – all enlivened by a startup culture in an international hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship.
For more than 100 years, the Palo Alto Chamber has been an important connection to this exceptional community for visitors and residents alike.
Today’s Chamber members span the spectrum of 21st century businesses in the mid-Silicon Valley region, from local-serving retailers to global industries. Members take pride in their civic contributions and sponsorship of community-building events to ensure the vitality of the community as a whole.
For more information, visit www.paloaltochamber.com.
Watch Mesmerizing Art Come to Life in Italian Street Painting Expo at 2026 Palo Alto Festival of the Arts; Kids Can Participate in Interactive ‘Chalk-a-Lot’
Featured Artist Marlon Yanes Focuses on Colorful Portraits With Fun Facial Impressions
PALO ALTO, Calif. (July 12, 2026) – The Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, the very popular fine art and entertainment festival, will celebrate art in all forms from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 22-23, 2026, along downtown’s tree-lined University Avenue. Proudly hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce with the support of the City of Palo Alto, this stunning, multifaceted art showcase spans all mediums, from 250 booths of unique fine art to live music to hands-on kids’ art and a unique and beautiful Italian Street Painting Expo.
ITALIAN STREET PAINTING EXPO
Festival attendees will have two full days to become immersed in some exceptional visual and performance art throughout the nine-block festival. Tasso Street will provide again the canvas for the popular Italian Street Painting Expo, in which 100-square-foot and larger chalk pastel paintings by chalk artists throughout the state will be created on the asphalt over the festival’s run. And kids can get involved, too, by creating their own chalk canvases in the special Chalk-a-Lot area.
Marlon Yanes is this year’s Featured Artist. He specializes in colorful portraits with fun facial impressions. Marlon actually got his start as a chalk artist at the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts in 2009. He was chosen as the chalk artist to represent his employer, which was his introduction to street painting.
“My love for the art form was born that day,” he said. “On the day of the event, I was totally winging it—I just had a printout of a ‘Quetzal’ on an 8.5 x 11 page and borrowed my dad’s kneepads. No grid, no measuring tape, no stencil, or the VR goggles many of us use now—just a printout and the will to do my best on a 12 x 12-foot asphalt square for my first-ever piece. That day holds a special place in my heart. It was a major milestone in my path to becoming a professional artist.”
A self-taught artist, Marlon says doing chalk art has enabled him to travel, meet new people and make long-lasting friends. “But mostly, I love talking to the attendees and showing them the process in person. Art is usually witnessed after it’s done, but the process is sometimes more entertaining, especially for the kids. They can relate to us since they do it in their own driveways, and it helps them realize they can one day re-create masterpieces, too.”
A former professional full-time artist, Marlon now has a Human Resources job and does chalk art as a hobby.
You can catch all the chalk artists in action during the two days of the festival, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 22-23, at Tasso and University in downtown Palo Alto.
Along with Marlon, 16 more amazing chalk artists are participating this year in 100-square-foot and larger street canvases. See the full list at https://www.paloaltochamber.com/festival-of-the-arts-artist-italian-street-painting.
This year, all the chalk artists will feature a butterfly somewhere in their designs, symbolizing freedom and growth to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Proceeds from the sponsored-street paintings will go to support Ada’s Café, whose main priority is to create engaging and meaningful career experiences for adults with disabilities.
Kids’ Chalk-a-Lot
The Kids’ Chalk-a-Lot area, toward the end of Tasso near Lytton, allows youths to purchase for a nominal donation a 2x2-foot asphalt canvas to create their own chalk art. The Kids’ Chalk-a-Lot area will benefit Youth Community Service, which elevates youth voice to raise community connection and equity through service.
FESTIVAL DETAILS
Admission to the Palo Alto Festival of the Arts is free. Plenty of convenient parking surrounds the festival, or better yet, take public transit with drop-off locations within close proximity to University Avenue. For public transit information, visit www.511.org.
Media sponsors include the Mercury News/Bay Area News Group, NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48, and Palo Alto Weekly.
For more details, please visit www.paloaltochamber.com/festival or call 650-324-3121.
About the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce
The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce is located in a unique community: a college town with excellent public and private schools, beautiful residential areas and tree-lined shopping districts, a world-class university and top healthcare institutions, and exciting arts and culture scene – all enlivened by a startup culture in an international hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship.
For more than 100 years, the Palo Alto Chamber has been an important connection to this exceptional community for visitors and residents alike.
Today’s Chamber members span the spectrum of 21st century businesses in the mid-Silicon Valley region, from local-serving retailers to global industries. Members take pride in their civic contributions and sponsorship of community-building events to ensure the vitality of the community as a whole.
For more information, visit www.paloaltochamber.com.
About the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce
The Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce is located in a unique community: a college town with excellent public and private schools, beautiful residential areas and tree-lined shopping districts, a world-class university and top healthcare institutions, and exciting arts and culture scene – all enlivened by a startup culture in an international hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurship.
For more than 100 years, the Palo Alto Chamber has been an important connection to this exceptional community for visitors and residents alike.
Today’s Chamber members span the spectrum of 21st century businesses in the mid-Silicon Valley region, from local-serving retailers to global industries. Members take pride in their civic contributions and sponsorship of community-building events to ensure the vitality of the community as a whole.
For more information, visit www.paloaltochamber.com.