Kentuck Festival of the Arts: dates, tickets and parking

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Dates, prices and rules come from the Kentuck Art Center’s festival page, its ticket page and its FAQ. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The 55th Kentuck Festival of the Arts is this weekend: Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, at Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa. Kentuck says the festival draws more than 15,000 visitors and more than 270 artists, with work running from folk art to contemporary craft.

Know before you go

• When: Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. VIP ticket holders shop from 8 a.m. Saturday.
• Where: Snow Hinton Park, Tuscaloosa (the 21st Street East entrance)
• Tickets: $15 a day or $25 for the weekend; children 12 and under free
• Pets: not allowed; service animals only
• Weather: rain or shine; text KENTUCK2026 to 888777 for alerts
• Questions: Kentuck Art Center, 205-758-1257, kentuck@kentuck.org

What the festival is

Kentuck Art Center, a nonprofit with galleries in Northport and Tuscaloosa, has run the festival for 55 years. The festival page lists what the two days include:

• more than 270 juried artists, from folk art to contemporary art and traditional craft
• live music on the music stage and a spoken word stage
• craft demonstrations
• food trucks and local craft beer
• Kentuck for Kids activities

Kentuck says the festival has been named a top 10 event by the Alabama Department of Tourism and voted “Best of Bama” by Alabama Magazine in 2018 and 2024. Proceeds pay for the next year’s festival and Kentuck’s year-round programs.

Tickets

The ticket page sets general admission at:

Online sales ran from Aug. 1 to noon Thursday, Oct. 15. After that, tickets are sold at the front gate, in Kentuck’s Gallery Shop and at Kentuck at Queen City, the FAQ says. Tickets are not transferable or refundable, and there are no refunds for bad weather. If you bought online, skip the ticket line and trade your ticket for a wristband at the Will Call tent at the front gate; Will Call is not at the back gate.

VIP packages add the VIP and artist parties, a hospitality tent with catered meals, an award ribbon to give an artist and Kentuck Bucks to spend at the festival.

Parking and getting there

From the FAQ:

• General parking is on the north side of Snow Hinton Park, between the park and University Mall. Volunteers direct traffic.
• Free shuttle from the University Mall parking lot, or a short walk to the front gate.
• Accessible parking is in a lot next to the front gate; a hangtag or license plate permit is required.
• Do not park on the Midtown Village side of McFarland Boulevard. Kentuck says it is not safe to walk across McFarland there, and the shuttle does not stop on that side. Do not park in the neighborhoods.
• Holders of the lime green Benefactor VIP pass park on the Hargrove Road side and enter by the back gate.

What to know

• Pets: not allowed, including emotional support animals. Trained service animals check in at the front gate.
• Accessibility: booths sit along the paved ellipse and paved cross paths of the 10-acre park, mostly on grass just off the pavement, with benches and accessible restrooms.
• Sensory-friendly zone: the Sensory Activation Vehicle near the playground, from the Tuscaloosa Police Department’s Behavioral Intervention Team and Rooted Tuscaloosa.
• Kids: the Kentuck for Kids area near the restroom pavilion has tie-dye, paper marbling, book arts, face painting, clay, Chinese calligraphy, birdhouse building and a musical petting zoo. Activities are free except a tie-dyed T-shirt ($5); a bandana is free.
• Payment: Kentuck takes major credit cards; each artist sets their own payment rules.
• Food: see the concessions list.
• Rain: the festival goes on rain or shine. If weather turns dangerous, the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the Tuscaloosa EMA decide whether to clear the park.
• No camping at Snow Hinton Park.
• Kentuck’s galleries close during the festival: the Gallery Shop in Northport and Kentuck at Queen City are closed Oct. 17-23.

Why it moved to Tuscaloosa

The festival grew up at Kentuck Park in Northport. Kentuck says that park and the land around it are being developed into a sportsplex, Northport Shore, so the board moved the 53rd festival to Snow Hinton Park. 2026 is the third year there.

Next year

Kentuck has not announced dates for the 2027 festival. Artists apply each year from March 1 to June 1, the FAQ says; watch the festival page for the 56th festival’s dates. Between festivals, Kentuck’s free Art Market runs on the third Saturday of the month; see free things to do in Tuscaloosa.

More this month: things to do in Tuscaloosa this month and fall festivals and pumpkin patches.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in 2026?

The 55th Kentuck Festival is Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 2026, at Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa.

How much are Kentuck Festival tickets?

General admission is $15 for one day or $25 for a weekend pass. Children 12 and under get in free with an adult. Online sales closed Oct. 15 at noon; tickets are sold at the front gate.

Where do you park for the Kentuck Festival?

General parking is on the north side of Snow Hinton Park, between the park and University Mall, with a free shuttle from the mall lot. Kentuck asks visitors not to park on the Midtown Village side of McFarland Boulevard or in neighborhoods.

Can I bring my dog to the Kentuck Festival?

No. Pets, including emotional support animals, are not allowed. Only trained service animals are permitted.

Is the Kentuck Festival canceled if it rains?

No. The festival is rain or shine and closes only for serious weather. Tickets are not refunded for bad weather.