The 40th Melbourne Art Festival returns to Wickham Park featuring over 200 artists

The Melbourne Art Festival is a nationally recognized event, held each year on the fourth weekend of April at Wickham Park in Melbourne.

This year marks the 40th year of the annual juried Fine Art Festival in Melbourne, Florida, showcasing the work over 200 talented artists. The awards total over $20,000 distributed among the two categories, 2-D and 3-D, and Best of Show.

Taking place at Wickham Park, this year's festival takes place on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, 2025, with artists setting up along the scenic drive that winds around the back lake. 

Visitors to the annual event in Wickham Par will enjoy a walk in the park, viewing and purchasing art, together with enjoying the festival weekend entertainment and activities.

The Melbourne Art Festival is consistently ranked in the top 200 shows in the nation by “Sunshine Artist” magazine over the last 10 years, and in 2024 the festival ranked #38.

The award-winning festival, which draws around 30,000 art and music lovers from throughout Central Florida, is a vibrant family friendly event that promotes and encourages artistic endeavors, education and appreciation of the arts on the Space Coast.

This year’s festival will feature over 200 artist booths, live music, kid friendly activities, a VIP Patron Program, sponsor and exhibitor displays, and diverse food and beverage options.

The Melbourne Art Festival offers FREE admission, FREE parking, FREE children’s activities and FREE live entertainment throughout the weekend. New this year – Live music will continue Saturday evening until 7 pm with Tru Phonic.

Among the many highlights of the 2025 festival:

Nationally ranked and juried fine art show displaying original works of art in a variety of medias

Artist booths, stage, food court, and beverage stations are all located around the back lake, among the trees and breezes of Wickham Park.

Live music Saturday 11:30 am – 7 pm and Sunday 11:30 am – 5 pm

KidsWorld activities from 10 am -4:30 pm including Student Art Workshops, Magician & Jugglers, Puppet Show, and Music from local schools with a new focus on STEM and digital.

Food & beverage vendors serving a variety of cuisine and snack options along with beverages including cold beer, wine, seltzers and mixed drinks in the Food Court.

VIP Patron Program providing covered seating to view the live music while enjoying free beverages, VIP Parking, an invitation to an exclusive artist reception after the show Saturday (NEW: Live Music until 7:00 PM), gift bags, New: Sunday morning mimosas and more.

Browse Melbourne Art Festival Sponsor and Exhibitor displays from Tasca Cadillac, Kelly Ford, Leaf Filter, OX Flooring, Janney Roofing, Renewal by Andersen, and Edward Jones.

Cart rides will be offered to help those with large art purchases get back to their vehicle and as a shuttle from the far end of the festival to the entrance.

Fun 50/50 Raffle held on both Saturday and Sunday with the winner named on the main stage one hour before entertainment ends. Winners last year shared thousands of dollars.

The Melbourne Art Festival is a juried Fine Arts Show, drawing artists from throughout Florida and the United States. Artists selected the Melbourne Art Festival as one of the Top 100 fine art shows in the US in 2024 (#38) and has consistently ranked in the top 100 over the past ten years by Sunshine Artist Magazine.

The local festival was also a 2021 Finalist for Florida Today’s ‘Best of Brevard Awards’ in the non-profit category, and the 2023 winner of Best Festival by Space Coast Living Magazine.

Originally held in Indialantic and then Downtown Melbourne for its first 32 years, the festival moved to Wickham Park in 2017 due to limited parking, downtown congestion, and space limitations for artists, sponsors, and food vendors. 

Proceeds raised during the weekend, along with those raised at Melbourne Art Festival Benefit Art Auctions, are used to encourage and support the arts and art education in Central Florida; Offer Student Scholarships for art classes and camps; and funding other educational art efforts, art organizations and non-profit organizations. The Melbourne Arts Festival has donated over $100,000 to the community.

The Melbourne Art Festival is a Not for Profit 501-C3 organization whose mission is to promote and encourage artistic endeavors, education and appreciation. The festival is run completely by volunteers.

More Info: 

https://melbourneartsfestival.org or email mafinfo@melbournearts.org or call 321-722-1964.

Looking for more fun events and things to do in Central Florida? Check out our Events Guide.

Gotta Go Orlando is your local source for the latest entertainment news, events and things to do in the Orlando area. We feature the latest concerts, theater news, arts & culture, nightlife, food & drink. theme parks, attractions, festivals, events, and so much more.

To be sure you don't miss the latest happenings in Orlando, sign up for our newsletter and stay in the loop with all the latest exciting news from our local community. You can also join the local conversation on X, Facebook, and Instagram, and catch the latest on our YouTube Channel too.

Contact Us

Got a story to tell Orlando? Contact us now. To advertise with us, click here, and to list your upcoming event with us, submit it here.