Druid City Arts Festival: dates, hours and what to know

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Dates and details come from the Druid City Arts Festival website and the City of Tuscaloosa’s events page. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The next Druid City Arts Festival is Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, 2027, on Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa. It is the city’s free two-day arts and music festival, and the city says it turns the plaza into an outdoor gallery and live music venue each spring.

Know before you go

• When: Saturday, April 10, 2027, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, April 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Where: Government Plaza, 618 Almon Ave., downtown Tuscaloosa
• Cost: free
• Organizer: City of Tuscaloosa Arts and Entertainment Department
• Questions: events@tuscaloosa.com; city 311 line, 205-248-5311

What the festival is

The festival’s about page says the event features more than 80 regional artists, a live music stage, a kids zone and food vendors. Artists show and sell work in clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, photography, sculpture, two-dimensional art and woodworking.

University of Alabama Creative Campus student interns started the festival, and the first one was held in 2010. The students partnered with Visit Tuscaloosa, which later passed the festival to the City of Tuscaloosa. The city’s Arts and Entertainment Department runs it now.

What last year’s festival looked like

The 2026 festival was Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11. The festival’s pages for that year give a feel for what to expect; the 2027 lineups have not been posted.

• Music: the stage schedule, presented by Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, ran three bands from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and eight acts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, opening with the Tuscaloosa Children’s Theater.
• Kids zone: the kids zone, presented by McAbee, had free tie-dye shirts for kids, make-and-take projects from Druid City Makerspace, Girl Scouts crafts, face painting and balloon twisting, henna, Dolly Parton Imagination Library sign-ups, the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter’s adoption vehicle and the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra Guild’s instrument petting zoo.
• Food: a food truck village with more than a dozen trucks and tents each day, from savory plates to shaved ice, coffee, popcorn and lemonade.

Parking and getting there

The festival website does not publish a parking plan. Government Plaza sits beside City Hall downtown; see getting around Tuscaloosa and downtown Tuscaloosa for parking decks and street parking.

What to know

• Free: no ticket is needed.
• Hours differ by day: Saturday runs later (to 7 p.m.); Sunday closes at 4 p.m.
• Artists and performers: applications for 2027 are open through Eventeny, linked from the artists page.
• Questions: email the city at events@tuscaloosa.com.

Later in April

The city’s events page also lists the Tuscaloosa Mayor’s Cup 5K for Pre-K on Saturday, April 24, 2027, two weeks later, starting and finishing on Government Plaza. For more on what is happening now, see things to do in Tuscaloosa this month and free things to do.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Druid City Arts Festival in 2027?

Saturday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 2027, on Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa.

Is the Druid City Arts Festival free?

Yes. The City of Tuscaloosa bills it as a free two-day arts and music festival.

Where is the Druid City Arts Festival held?

Government Plaza, 618 Almon Ave., in downtown Tuscaloosa, according to the festival’s website.

Who runs the Druid City Arts Festival?

The City of Tuscaloosa’s Arts and Entertainment Department. University of Alabama students started the festival in 2010; Visit Tuscaloosa later ran it before handing it to the city.

How do artists apply for the Druid City Arts Festival?

Applications for artists and live performers for 2027 are open on Eventeny, linked from the festival’s artists page.