Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival, one of the city's favorite events of spring, is returning April 18-21, 2024 with a jam-packed weekend of art, music, food, and entertainment. (Start praying to the weather gods now for a thunderstorm-free weekend.)

The festival, presented by PNC, will take over 18 square blocks downtown, will be family- and dog-friendly, and, as always, free to attend. Now in its 37th year, "Main Street," is hailed as the largest arts festival in Texas and the No. 3-ranked fine arts festival in the U.S.

According to a release, the 2024 lineup includes 213 jury-selected visual artists, live music on two stages, authentic local cuisine, the family-friendly “TCC Makers Zone,” craft beer, wine tastings, and more.

Here's what attendees can expect:

Art
The main purpose for the festival, the 2024 outdoor gallery will showcase 213 artists who were hand-selected to exhibit their work from nearly 1,000 applications, organizers say. "More than $4 million worth of art is expected to be sold across 15 different artistic media, including sculpture, painting, photography, wood, glass, jewelry, metalwork, printmaking, mixed media, and much more," says the release.

Artists will include: 2023 Best of Show winner John Blackwell; Best Emerging artist Jimmy Hill; Merit Award winners Keoni (wood), Adam Crowell (wood), David Bjurstrom (drawing), Carl Zachmann (metalwork), Robert Varela (metalwork), Marina Terauds (printmaking), and Deana Goldsmith (drawing); and more than 25 local artists from Fort Worth-Dallas.

Checking out the art is the biggest highlight of all.Photo courtesy of Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival

Entertainment
Live "Music on Main" performances will take place on two stages throughout the weekend. Entertainers range from jazz players and Southern rock bands to Tejano singers and R&B groups, the release says. Austin-based Southern soul band Shinyribs; Grammy Award-nominated smooth jazz supergroup Jazz Funk Soul; acclaimed Chicano/Tejano band Latin Breed; soul/jazz singer-songwriter Taylor Pace; Tejano Music Award winner for “Best New Female Artist” Monica Saldivar; Grammy and Emmy Award-winning zydeco musician Buckwheat Zydeco, Jr., and more.

Shinyribs will take the stage on Friday, April 19. Photo courtesy of Farmgrass

Food & drink
No one should leave hungry or thirsty. This year's culinary offerings will include dishes prepared by top local chefs and long-standing festival vendors across five food courts. There'll be turkey legs, empanadas, gumbo, gourmet hamburgers, funnel cakes, and ice cream, organizers promise. Then fuel up with frozen and unfrozen margaritas, mojitos, local brews, and the ever-popular "Wine Experience," pouring a well-edited selection of wines-by-the-glass from Chloe and Imagery wines.

For the kids
Main St.'s “TCC Makers Zone,” located at the north end of Main Street, will offer creative, hands-on activities for children of all ages. "With exhibits from the PNC Grow Up Great Mobile Learning Adventure, New Sharpie Creative Markers, Fort Worth Science and History Museum, Fort Worth Public Library, Fort Worth ISD, and more, families will be immersed in a growing world of 'making,'" says the release.

For planning purposes, Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival 2024 hours will be: Thursday, April 18: 10 am-10 pm; Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20: 10 am-11 pm; and Sunday, April 21: 10 am-8 pm. For more information, visit/follow along on the event's website and social media pages.