EVENT SPOTLIGHT: 38th Annual Melbourne Art Festival Set for Wickham Park April 22 and 23

Award-winning festival is vibrant family-friendly event that promotes and encourages artistic endeavors

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The 2023 Melbourne Art Festival will again be held among the trees and lakes at Wickham Park in Melbourne on April 22 and 23. The award-winning festival, which draws tens of thousands of art and music lovers from throughout Central Florida, is a vibrant, family-friendly event that promotes and encourages artistic endeavors, education, and appreciation of the arts.

The Melbourne Art Festival offers free admission, parking, children’s activities and live entertainment throughout the weekend. This year’s festival will feature over 200 booths, live music, kid-friendly activities, a VIP Patron Program, sponsor displays, and diverse food and beverage options.

Among the many highlights of the 2023 festival:

■ Nationally ranked and juried fine art show displaying original works of art in various media. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

■ KidWorld activities from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including student art workshops, magicians and jugglers, puppet shows, and music from local schools.

■ Food and beverage vendors serve a variety of cuisine and snack options along with beverages, including cold beer, wine, seltzers, and liquor in the food court.

■ VIP Patron Program provides covered seating to view the stage while enjoying free beverages, VIP Parking, and the return of the Thursday night Patron Party.

■ Browse Melbourne Art Festival Sponsor displays

■ Enjoy live music on the Lexus Stage near the food court on both Saturday and Sunday

The Melbourne Art Festival is a juried Fine Arts Show drawing artists from throughout Florida and the United States. This event was selected as one of the Top 100 fine art shows in the US over the past ten years by Sunshine Artist Magazine in their September 2021 issue and was a 2021 Finalist for Florida Today’s ‘Best of Brevard Awards’ in the non-profit category and the 2023 winner of Best Festival by Space Coast Living Magazine.

Initially held in Indialantic and Downtown Melbourne for its first 32 years, the festival moved to Wickham Park in 2017 due to limited parking, downtown congestion, and space limitations for artists, sponsors and food vendors.

Proceeds raised during the weekend, along with those raised at Melbourne Art Festival Benefit Art Auctions, are used to encourage and support the arts and art education in Central Florida, offer student scholarships to junior high and high school students for art classes and camps, and funding other educational art efforts and art organizations.  The Melbourne Arts Festival has donated over $100,000 to the community.

Melbourne Art Festival is a not for profit organization whose mission is to promote and encourage artistic endeavors, education and appreciation. The festival is run completely by volunteers.

To volunteer, please visit MelbourneArts.org

Melbourne Art Festival Details:

■ When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23

■ Where: Wickham Park, 2500 Parkway Drive, Melbourne, FL

■ Directions: Wickham Park is Just 5 miles from I-95, exits 191 and 195

■ Cost: Free parking, admission, entertainment, and kids’ Activities.

■ Pets: The Melbourne Art Festival is pet friendly, please follow Wickham Park rules.

For more information, visit melbournearts.org, email mafinfo@melbournearts.org, or call 321-722-1964.

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