Pearl Street Arts Fest returns to Boulder for 49th year

BOULDER, Colo. — The Pearl Street Arts Fest will return to downtown Boulder July 17-19, marking its 49th year with more than 100 artists from 22 states exhibiting original works in 13 disciplines.

The juried festival will take place along the Pearl Street Mall and 14th Street, featuring painting, photography, digital art, woodworking, sculpture and other media. Artists will also be located on the Boulder County Courthouse lawn for the first time.

Festival hours are 3-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

“The Pearl Street Arts Fest has been a downtown tradition for nearly 50 years,” said Anna Salim, vice president of operations and programming for Downtown Boulder. “We are excited to host the event again and share the creativity and talent of artists from across the country.”

Hand-painted Adirondack-style chairs displayed on the courthouse lawn will be auctioned through 2 p.m. July 19 to raise funds for Downtown Boulder’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2027.

The festival began in 1978 as the first community event held on the Pearl Street Mall.

The festival’s BIPOC Artist Invitation, launched in 2024, will feature five artists this year: Joseph Graves Jr., Aishwarya Kishore Puthran, Alexa Mosley, Butchi Indira Muddu and Charlotte Sellam.

Free family activities will include the Open Studios Mobile Art Lab on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the courthouse lawn. RestART Art Therapy will host a community weaving project throughout the weekend, and Bank of America will offer coupons for a color-by-number mural and a cardboard robot puzzle.

The 2026 commemorative festival poster, “Something in the Heart” by Mallory Cash, will be available for purchase at Art Source International and the artist’s booth.

Parking is free Saturdays and Sundays in the City of Boulder garages at 10th and Walnut, 11th and Walnut, 14th and Walnut and 15th and Pearl.

The festival is presented by Bank of America and produced by Downtown Boulder Community Initiatives. Sponsors include the City of Boulder, Eldorado Natural Spring Water, Three Leaf Concepts, The Camera, KUNC and Boulder Magazine.