Art and Entertainment Along The Waterway
Art, food, family, and fun all wrapped into one! The nationally recognized Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is one of the most popular events in The Woodlands. From activities for the kids to plenty of food, this year’s festival promises to be the best yet!
“Recognized nationally as one of the best outdoor juried visual arts events, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival showcases more than 200 artists from around the country whose work represents a wide variety of mediums, including painting, metalworks, wood, glass, mixed media, sculpture, jewelry, photography and fiber,” explains Jenny Carattini-Wright, Executive Director, The Woodlands Arts Council. “The festival also offers superior culinary experiences, a gourmet specialty product area, educational art activities for children and adults, live performances, and special exhibitions.”
Carattini-Wright says for many families in The Woodlands visiting The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival (WWAF) is tradition. It’s situated around Town Green Park and all along the beautiful waterway area. But the festival is not just about the visual arts.
“Visual arts, culinary arts, the healing arts — ART is in everything we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell,” she explains. “The Art of Food area features specialty gourmet food items from around the country for purchase, a first at the festival, as well as a demo stage for talks, presentations, and food demonstrations.”
The featured artist for the 2020 Festival is Missouri-native Christina Smith. Christina, a self-taught artist who lives in Arkansas, focuses on studies of nature in a unique combination of gouache and pencil. The entire event is family-friendly, but there is a special area just for the kids to explore the world of art.
“The festival provides many opportunities for students to create art in the ARTopoly area,” says Carattini-Wright. “They can explore the Early Inspiration Gallery, where children ages 5-12 may purchase select art for $5 to start their art collections.”
Inspire the budding artists in your family! The Student Art Scholarship Exhibit features art from high school students in the area who competed for scholarships.
The "big kids" can visit the new selfie walls, make chalk art and build with robotics. The Colors of the World area will focus on tourism and cultural experiences. Overall, the WWAF is the perfect way to spend quality time with the ones you love.
“We delight in bringing new experiences for our audience, whether with art, food or music. Ultimately, we hope to bring people together, teach them something new and create memories!”
The WWAF costs $15 per day or $20 for a weekend pass. For the best experience, find the best parking spots by planning ahead.
Insider Tip: For extra fun, consider the Art Dash event. The 60-second Art Dash allows you to mingle with artists, eat delicious food, enjoy live music and "dash" for art. All to raise money for The Woodlands Arts Council’s scholarship program. Tickets for that event start at $100 a person.
