Overview Artsplosure is Raleigh's free two-day arts festival, held on Fayetteville Street downtown the third weekend of May, where about 175 juried artists from across the country sell their work between two music stages and a children's art zone called Kidsplosure. The festival grew out of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, whose subcommittees conceived it in 1978. The nonprofit that runs it also produces First Night Raleigh, the city's New Year's Eve celebration downtown. On site Artists' tents run down Fayetteville Street, and Davie, Martin and Hargett streets close between Morgan Street and City Plaza, so the festival sits on flat, paved, car-free blocks. The Main Stage stands at Morgan and Fayetteville, with the Emerging Artist Stage as the second. Kidsplosure took an Elizabethan theme in 2026, with more than a dozen hands-on stations for cyanotype prints, metal embossing and watercolor castles, beside a giant May Pole installation designed by Becky Joye. Wake County middle and high school students hang a Student Art Exhibition, and food trucks set up nearby. Earlier years brought Art Putt, a mini-golf course built by artists, and a song confessional booth. Talent and Influencers The 2026 lineup ran 12 performances over the two stages, among them Sunny War and Joseph Terrell, Tashi Dorji, T. Gold, Housecat! and Bedroom Division, and Carolina Shakespeare performed. The Wood Turner's Guild and the Triangle Potters Guild took part the same weekend. Track record Artsplosure incorporated as a nonprofit in 1979 and held its first festival in 1980. Artists compete for prize money: in 2026 that meant a $1,250 Best in Show, a $750 Judge's Choice, two $500 Merit Awards and two $250 Honorable Mentions. The City of Raleigh, the United Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council all fund the festival. Brand presence In 2026 WRAL, TowneBank and Morningstar Law Firm backed the Main Stage, and the North Carolina Arts Council, Tharrington Smith and CaptiveAire backed the Emerging Artist Stage. The presenting sponsor takes both Artsplosure and First Night Raleigh. Below it, partners can put a title on a feature program such as Kidsplosure or the Art Market, or on an activity, installation or outreach initiative, with banners, on-site signs and acknowledgements from the stage. Exhibitors take a booth in a high-traffic spot on the street, where sales are not permitted, and sponsors are invited to the festival's sponsor and patron receptions.