Alley Art Festival

Alley Art Festival Alley Art Festival fosters community around local art through events, workshops, art-making, and conversation in the Fox Valley area. It rocked!

Alley Art Festival started as a grassroots art fair on Sat. Aug. 28, 2010 on Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora between Downer and Galena.

"I'm pretty sure that my first Alley Art Festival was in 2012; I was one of the artists, and I remember wishing I had kn...
05/21/2026

"I'm pretty sure that my first Alley Art Festival was in 2012; I was one of the artists, and I remember wishing I had known about this event sooner! The community all poured into Water Street Mall; artists, musicians, dancers, and art lovers. I remember feeling like it was a magical day, and I even saw a dance performance that sparked my interest in going back to dance (and it has been so exciting to dance at future Alley Art Festivals!!!)! It's such a great event for artists to not only share their art with others but for the artists to meet like-minded, super cool new artist friends! My sister and I have been coming back to share our art year after year, whenever we're able to, and we always agree it's our favorite day of the summer. 🥰" ~ Susi Daniel
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🎂 Alley Art Fest celebrates it's 16th and final outdoor event on Saturday August 29 from noon to 5 in downtown Aurora. 😍 What does Alley Art Fest mean to you?!

⏰ Applications are now closed. The artist list will be available on the website the first week in July.

📍.downtown

"Whenever I sell my art at the Alley Art Festival, I feel welcomed in the atmosphere and safe. I am grateful to have fou...
05/14/2026

"Whenever I sell my art at the Alley Art Festival, I feel welcomed in the atmosphere and safe. I am grateful to have found homes for my art throughout the years as my art and I have progressed and healed. I will miss showing up every year but I am grateful to say I was part of this beautiful gathering that is welcome to all and allows us to see art in so many different forms. And for me personally, it was a great achievement, a way to show my culture, and healing every time!" ~ Sonia Rivera
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We asked our longtime artists to help describe what is for them. Come visit Sonia and other local artists on Saturday, August 29 from noon to 5 in downtown Aurora.

Applications are now closed. Artists will be notified by the first week of July.

🎂 Alley Art Fest celebrates its last and 16th year this summer. Thanks to everyone who made it what it is!

"Alley Art Fest has been a great way to meet artists and other people in the community. It's also been the catalyst in m...
05/06/2026

"Alley Art Fest has been a great way to meet artists and other people in the community. It's also been the catalyst in my own creative journey and inspired my growth as an artist. From making hula hoops, to needle felting ghosts, to expanding into digital art with stickers, and prints. It's been my favorite event of the year!" 💕 ~ Meg Schmid (of Meg Schmeg Art) 

🎉 Join us for the last Alley Art Fest on Saturday, August 29 from noon to 5 and celebrate 16 years of fun and inspiration.

➡️ Follow

Artist applications are now closed. See you at the fest!

Pt 2! Geneva's first Art Explosion 💥 was a blast! The downtown-wide event matched local artists with over 40 merchants o...
05/03/2026

Pt 2! Geneva's first Art Explosion 💥 was a blast! The downtown-wide event matched local artists with over 40 merchants on Saturday, May 2. The event was hosted by Geneva Chamber and Experience Geneva with art coordination assistance from ✨ It included about 50 artists showcasing their work mostly inside participating businesses. So much fun! This event will definitely become a must-attend art event in the Fox Valley.
➡️ Photos pt 2
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Geneva's first Art Explosion 💥 was a blast! The downtown-wide event matched local artists with over 40 merchants on Satu...
05/03/2026

Geneva's first Art Explosion 💥 was a blast! The downtown-wide event matched local artists with over 40 merchants on Saturday, May 2. The event was hosted by Geneva Chamber and Experience Geneva with art coordination assistance from ✨ It included about 50 artists showcasing their work mostly inside participating businesses. So much fun! This event will definitely become a must-attend art event in the Fox Valley.
➡️ Photos 1-20
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A great First Fridays in downtown Aurora! Don't miss checking out the shows up this month at The DLP Art & History Cente...
05/02/2026

A great First Fridays in downtown Aurora! Don't miss checking out the shows up this month at The DLP Art & History Center ✨
Some fun stops as always and more. View art all month in .downtown and make sure to celebrate artist Louise Miller on the 3rd floor of The DLP. 🎉
➡️ More art ahead! Follow 🎂

"It's one of my favorite days of the year! It brings out so many cool people and fantastic artists! Every year it grows ...
04/30/2026

"It's one of my favorite days of the year! It brings out so many cool people and fantastic artists! Every year it grows and becomes more spectacular." ~

Artist Jessi Cox on what Alley Art Fest has meant to her over the years. Cox is a longtime participating artist at the festival. Come see her and others on Saturday, August 29 from noon to 5 in downtown Aurora.

⏰ Applications open through May 1

Alley Art Fest is Saturday, August 29! Artist applications are due by May 1. Visit our website for more information. Lin...
04/27/2026

Alley Art Fest is Saturday, August 29! Artist applications are due by May 1. Visit our website for more information. Link in bio! This years poster by celebrates 16 years of Alley Art Festival and 250 years of the U.S. Let's party! 🎉

Highway clean up with Alley Art Fest! All are welcome to join and for litter pickup along Lake Street between Illinois...
04/11/2026

Highway clean up with Alley Art Fest! All are welcome to join and for litter pickup along Lake Street between Illinois and Prairie streets. We'll meet on Illinois and Lake across from Prisco Center at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 18. Bring gloves, a water bottle, hat, and a grabber if you have one. We'll have bags! If it rains, then we'll reschedule to Sunday, April 19. Same time. Same place. DM with any questions.

Collage Cards! We had fun making collage cards at in downtown Aurora. Look for more offerings coming soon. 🎂 Alley Art ...
04/10/2026

Collage Cards! We had fun making collage cards at in downtown Aurora. Look for more offerings coming soon.
🎂 Alley Art Fest celebrates it's 16th and final outdoor event on Saturday, August 29. Save the date!

Address

Water Street Mall
Aurora, IL
60505

Opening Hours

12pm - 5pm

Website

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