Make A Plan For The Upcoming MAIN ST. Arts Fest

With tens of thousands of people estimated to be in attendance for Cowtown’s largest art festival, it’s never too early to make a game plan.

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You just never know what you might see at the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival presented by PNC Bank. Going on now for nearly four decades, this fest is full of surprises. From jugglers, to live music, and of course all kinds of visual stimuli, this event is easily the largest art fest in Texas every year. This four-day event, which runs from April 18 – 21, will have over 200 juried artists in attendance, who are estimated to sell at least $4 million worth of art.

But that’s not the only the astronomical number being estimated for this year’s fest. According to a release, tens of thousands of people are expected to take over the streets of Downtown Fort Worth to buy art, eat food, and enjoy Texas culture (us locals already know). Also, dozens of restaurants and food vendors will be cooking up something yummy across four food courts through the downtown area.

Besides the art, attendees can groove out tot he sounds of over 50 musical acts that will perform on two stages on either side of the festival daily.

The headlining musical acts for this year include Austin-based southern soul band Shinyribs; Grammy Award-nominated smooth jazz group Jazz Funk Soul; acclaimed 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 many more.

Another new addition to this year’s MAIN ST. is the Sharpie Bus. This traveling art exhibit is heading across America starting in — you guessed it — Fort Worth. In celebration of World Creativity Day (April 21) this ink laden tour bus will offer a variety of activities for visitors to get creative with the new Sharpie Creative Markers. These new markers can be used on surfaces including metal, wood, ceramic, glass, rock, canvas, and more.

Also new this year is the Bailey’s Chocolate Liqueur Sampling Station, a new Wine Pavilion, a Fort Worth ISD “Fort Worth Beauty” Art Contest, and "Built to Last" Seating Stations.

And of course, no MAIN ST. event would be complete without the TCC Makers Zone. This award-winning section of the fest provides children of all ages with an opportunity to explore their creative side. Kiddos will have the opportunity to see live art demonstrations on space, pottery, robotics, clay, photography, computer programming, circle weaving plus much more.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

With hundreds of street closures and limited parking available, MAIN ST. attendees are encouraged to take public transportation to and from #MainSt2024. Options include:

  • TEXRail and Trinity Railway Express (TRE) – Both TEXRail and the TRE commuter rail lines will operate all four days of the festival, including a special TRE Sunday train, dropping off and picking up passengers at Fort Worth Central Station, located just two blocks from the festival at 9th and Jones Streets. Visit https://trinityrailwayexpress.org/msfwaf/.
  • Molly The Trolley – Trinity Metro will operate its Molly the Trolley shuttle from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. all four days of the festival, transporting attendees from one end of the festival to the other for free. Visit https://ridetrinitymetro.org/rider-services/molly-the-trolley/.
  • Trinity Metro – Bus routes 1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, 46, 89, and The Dash will operate normal service schedules to and from Fort Worth Central Station. Visit https://ridetrinitymetro.org/msfwaf/.
  • Fort Worth Bike Sharing – North Texas’ first bike-sharing system, Fort Worth Bike Sharing, has 14 bike-sharing stations within walking distance of the festival. Visit https://www.fortworthbikesharing.org.
  • Rideshare – Houston, Commerce, and Throckmorton Streets provide the best opportunities for rideshare drop-off and pick-up during MAIN ST.

STREET CLOSURES

Various streets throughout Downtown will be closed throughout the week to accommodate set-up and operations, including:

  • Monday, April 15, at 6 a.m. through Monday, April 22, at 6 a.m.: Main, 1st, 8th, 9th, and portions of Houston and Commerce Streets.  
  • Tuesday, April 16 through Monday, April 22: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Streets
  • Friday, April 19, at 6 p.m. through Monday, April 22: 6th and 7th Streets

For a list of all street closures, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org/festival-guide/street-closures/. 

PARKING

For those planning to drive to MAIN ST. and park downtown, there are several free parking options after 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and all day on Saturday and Sunday, including:

  • City Center Garage #2 - 400 Jones Street
  • The Tower Garage - 400 Taylor Street
  • 777 Main Parking Garage - 601 Commerce Street
  • Sundance Square Garage #3 - 345 W. 3rd Street
  • Resident lot at City Hall – 200 Texas Street
  • Parking meters throughout downtown

For a list of all free and paid parking options in Downtown Fort Worth, visit https://www.fortworthparking.com/downtown. 

2024 MAINS ST. HOURS, HASHTAG + SOCIALS

MAIN ST. is produced annually by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc., and is free and open to the public. The official hashtag for 2024 is #MainSt2024. Festival dates and hours for 2024 are:

  • Thursday, April 18: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
  • Friday, April 19: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 20: 10 a.m.-11 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 21: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.