ArtFest 2026 is moving from July to August in downtown Green Bay

ArtFest is on the move this summer.

Downtown Green Bay Inc.’s annual art fair will jump from July to August in its fourth year but remain at its same downtown location.

The switch from late July to Aug. 22-23 comes as organizers look to find a weekend with fewer conflicts during northeast Wisconsin’s busy summer – no small feat given the many recurring festivals and other happenings that quickly fill up the calendar June through August.

ArtFest made its debut as a three-day event July 28-30, 2023, before becoming a two-day offering the third weekend of July in both 2024 and 2025. Pulaski Polka Days, Art at the Park in Appleton, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Paperfest in Kimberly, the Green Bay Packers 5K Run/Walk and Packers training camp are among the popular events already mainstays on the late July calendar.

With so much going on, it was difficult for ArtFest to get vendors, said Jen Metcalf, assistant director of Downtown Green Bay Inc. Some artists felt conflicted about participating in ArtFest, because it was bumping up against other art fairs, she said.

After hearing from artists, vendors and attendees about considering a move for ArtFest, the organization did a survey of its arts partners and others to get additional feedback before making the decision, Metcalf said.

The new dates fall on a familiar weekend for art-loving crowds. The fourth weekend in August has traditionally been the date for Artstreet, the longtime Green Bay art fair hosted by nonprofit arts and education advocacy organization Mosaic Arts Inc.

In 2022, after 40 years downtown, Mosaic moved the event to Ashwaubomay Park in Ashwaubenon, citing the need for more space to expand activities and bring in more artists. Artstreet was held the following two years, in 2023 and 2024, in Ashwaubenon. It was absent from the calendar in 2025.

Mosaic has not publicly addressed what was called “a temporary hiatus” from the event. Its website and Facebook page do not currently list 2026 dates for either Artigras, traditionally held in early March but postponed in 2025, or Artstreet.

Mosaic did not respond to an email request for comment about Artstreet’s future.

When Artstreet left Green Bay, Downtown Green Bay introduced ArtFest as a way to fill the void with an event of its own that expanded on the art fair concept by adding a wide array of interactive art experiences. Like Artstreet, it’s free and held in roughly the same area, although the layout has shifted slightly to the east to use primarily Jefferson and Cherry streets.

“From the very, very beginning … we really wanted to make sure that we had continual conversation with [Mosaic], to make sure they knew we’re doing our very best not to compete and looking for ways to collaborate or support each other,” Metcalf said.

That communication has continued as she let Mosaic know ArtFest was considering a date change.

“They continue to say they want to remain an arts advocacy group in our community and said that they trust Downtown Green Bay will do what’s best for us, and that’s kind of how I feel about them as well,” Metcalf said. “I know every organization has to make decisions based on so many variables. So I don’t know what the future is of Artstreet, but I trust that their board and their leaders are doing what’s best for them, and we have to do what’s best for us.”

Downtown Green Bay’s mission is to support the downtown business community with creative programming like ArtFest, which drew an estimated 15,000 visitors last year with 116 artists, bands, a community art project, interactive art activities and a color run.

“The vibrancy that this festival brings to downtown Green Bay is just really important, more than ever, as we see more people move into downtown with all of our new housing options,” Metcalf said. “We want to make sure that we have these kinds of events in our downtown.”

Artist applications are now being accepted for ArtFest 2026

Moving ArtFest closer to the end of summer allows Downtown Green Bay to get through the bulk of its other seasonal programming, like Fridays on the Fox in June and July, before turning its focus to ArtFest, while still allowing visitors the chance to take in the nearby Saturday Farmers Market on the opening morning of the art fair.

August, however, does mean possibly having a home Packers preseason game on the same weekend, but Metcalf sees that as a benefit. Because ArtFest is more of an event where people drop in for a few hours rather than an all-day party, she thinks it’s an attractive offering for football fans staying in downtown hotels.

Artist registration is now open for this year’s event at downtowngreenbay.com/artfest. Hosting roughly 100 artist booths remains the “sweet spot,” Metcalf said.

“We really want to embrace the local arts scene and to support the local arts scene, so apply,” Metcalf said. “We are going to have to be selective, because we kind of have a limited footprint in the downtown district, but we hope to bring in artists of all types. We really want it to be a community art festival.”