Artsplosure–the Raleigh Arts Festival will be back again on May 17 and 18, 2025, bringing art, music, kids’ activities, interactive installations, and entertainment to Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.
- Saturday, May 17: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday, May 18: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The festival features the work of more than 175 juried fine artists and craftspeople, and 10 different categories. All art will be available for purchase.
Check out a big list of spring festivals in the Triangle!
Learn about:
Please keep in mind that details are subject to change. Make sure to check artsplosure.org for updates.
Installations
Song Confessional
Location: Fayetteville Street
Hours: Saturday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
What if you could have a custom song written about your life by the best songwriters around? Step into the Song Confessional at Artsplosure and provide an anonymous confession on the spot to be recorded – and it just might inspire a new hit song! Today’s top bands and songwriters turn anonymous stories into new original songs.
Each episode features the “confession” that inspires the original song, the song premiere, and an interview with the songwriter. Song Confessional is hosted by Walker Lukens and Zac Catanzaro and is a collaboration with KUTX radio in Austin, Texas.
Student Art Show
Location: PNC Plaza, 301 Fayetteville Street
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Student Art Show showcasing art from Triangle area middle and high schools. Stop by to see artwork across multiple mediums from NC’s best young artists!
Art Putt
Location: Fayetteville Street
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Art Putt is an interactive public art installation featuring a mini-golf course designed by local artists. The course will be debuted at Artsplosure 2025, and each hole will offer a unique artistic experience while engaging participants in a fun, playful environment.
The theme for this year’s course is SURRALEIGHIST, North Carolina. Surrealist interpretations of all things North Carolina! Raleigh is “North Carolina’s Main Street” with a vibrant creative community, and the course will feature iconic parts of North Carolina presented in the surrealist art style.
Triangle Potter’s Guild & Wood Turner’s Guild
Location: Fayetteville Street
Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Octaphonic Drift Garden
Location: Fayetteville Street
Hours: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
An interactive sound bath.
Art Market
Browse for art of many media. All will be available for purchase. You’ll find:
- Ceramics
- Fiber art
- Glass
- Jewelry
- Metal
- Other 2D
- Other 3D
- Painting
- Photography
- Tech/digital art
- Wood
Kidsplosure
Saturday, March 17
Performances
- 11:00 – 12:00 PM Zumba with Dawn Rushing
- 12:00 – 12:30 PM Choral Performance by Moore’s Square Middle School
- 12:30 – 1:00 PM Choral and Recorder Performance by Lake Myra Elementary School
- 1:00 – 1:30 PM Underwood Elementary School String Orchestra
- 1:30 – 2:00 PM Dance Performance by East Millbrook Magnet Middle School
- 2:00 – 3:00 PM Zumba with Dari Satterwhite
- 3:00 – 4:00 PM Wake Forest High School Step Team
- 4:00 – 5:00 PM The Big Bad Musical by Wildwood Forest Magnet Elementary School
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM Dance Party with Byron Jennings
Activities
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Tissue Paper Flowers
- Lego Printmaking
- Bracelets
- Creation Station
- Art Journals
- Watercolor
- Mindful Doodles
- Weaving Forts
- Wire Whimsies
- Cotton Candy
Sunday, May 18
Performances
- 11:00 – 1:00 PM DJ Rickey Smith
- 1:00 – 2:00 PM Guitar and Orchestra Performance by East Millbrook Middle School
- 2:00 – 3:00 PM Zumba with Cuqui Gorman
- 3:00 – 4:00 PM Chorus and Glockenspiel Performance by Fox Road Elementary School
- 4:00 – 5:00 PM Zumba with Cuqui Gorman
- 5:00 – 6:00 PM DJ Rickey Smith
Activities
11:00 – 6:00 PM
- Tissue Paper Flowers
- Lego Printmaking
- Bracelets
- Creation Station
- Art Journals
- Watercolor
- Mindful Doodles
- Weaving Forts
- Wire Whimsies
- Cotton Candy
Artsplosure Stage Schedule
Saturday Stage Schedule
- 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Club Cardio featuring “Step Reloaded”
- 12:05 to 12:45 p.m.: Atist To Be Announced Soon!
- 1:15 to 2 p.m.: Africa Unplugged
- 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.: Coconut Cake
- 3:45 to 4:45 p.m.: Monsoon
- 5:15 to 6 p.m.: Cure for Paranoia
- 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Chatham Rabbits
Sunday Stage Schedule
- 10 to 11 a.m.: Club Pilates
- 11:05 to 11:45 a.m.: Artist To Be Announced Soon!
- 12:15 to 1 p.m.: Também
- 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.: Wilson Springs Hotel
- 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.: Sydney Ross Mitchell
- 4 to 4:45 p.m.: Humbird
- 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.: Zack Mexico
Accessibility
- The festival will take place along Fayetteville and its side streets, which are fully accessible for people with limited mobility. This City of Raleigh-owned property complies with all ADA recommendations and design standards.
- The festival’s designated accessible drop off and entry point will be located on the south side of City Plaza, adjacent to the Marriott Hotel traffic circle, on Fayetteville Street. The City will have all other street entry points barricaded with large trucks, and this location is convenient with easy ingress and egress.
- The juried Art Market will open an hour early at 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 10, for those who require longer to access the festival experience.
- Assistive listening devices, audio description, and sign language interpretation will be provided, if requested by audience members at least seven business days in advance.
- Kidsplosure arts and craft activities are especially designed to be fun and enriching for everyone.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Festivals
Take a look at a few upcoming festivals:
