It's Gasparilla season which means the return of some of Tampa's favorite annual events. This weekend, the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (GFA) returns to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park from February 28-March 1, 2026!
For two days, the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts will showcase artists and their work across mediums, including ceramic, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor, and wood.
<div id="c3be0912bb716eee4ca644c1dfc4ecde4"></div>There will also be live entertainment emceed by ABC Action News Meteorologist, Denis Phillips, and artistically-themed entertainment and performances, including yoga, dance, puppets, stilt walkers, impersonators, visual artists, and more!
Keep reading to learn what you can expect from one of Tampa's largest art festivals, it's one of our favorite Gasparilla events.
Interactive Experiences and Live Entertainment
There will be several interactive experiences for guests to experience this year!
- Carmada: Returning this year to present its Art Car Extravaganza. There will be new art cars will be on display, hands-on creative opportunities, and live vehicle transformations by local artists! Visitors will be encouraged to vote on their favorite art car, with prizes going to the artists.
- NOMADstudio: The NOMADstudio Art Bus invites visitors to add to its giant mobile mural.
- Community Design Collaborative Interactive Experience: An interactive structural element created by the Community Design Collaborative and affiliated organizations.
- TBBCA Chalk Walk: Come see specially commissioned Chalk Artists bring their amazing 8’x8’ chalk drawings to life in this interactive live-art experience as part of the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.
ABC Action News Meteorologist, Denis Phillips, will return as the live entertainment emcee!
2026 Entertainment Lineup
While we are still awaiting this year's entertainment lineup, you can be sure the festival will have artistically-themed entertainment and performances, including yoga, dance, puppets, stilt walkers, music, impersonators, visual artists, and more!
Admission and Special Event Info
General admission is free, and VIP tickets are available right now for $150. VIP tickets purchased on festival weekend will be $175.
VIP tickets are valid for both days of the festival and include access to the VIP tent area that includes shade, catered food, beer, wine, specialty cocktails, and private restrooms.
Last Year's Artist Awards Showcase
Guests can enjoy a special ticketed event called The Artist Awards Showcase on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Tampa River Center at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. This exclusive event showcases award-winning works from the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts that brings together patrons, supporters, and artists.
This is the public’s first opportunity to view and purchase the award-winning art. Tickets include admission, complimentary parking, live music, catered food, a full bar, and an opportunity to interact with the festival juror. Tickets are $154.64.
Where to Park
Festival goers can park near the festival at Howard Blake High School, just north of Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, for $15. All proceeds support the Blake High School Booster Club.
There is free parking at Julian B. Riverfront Park, located at 1001 N. Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607.
Free street parking is available adjacent just west of the park. There are also several parking locations that may be walkable:
- Street Parking along Doyle Carlton Drive (5 min walk)
- Barrymore Hotel (7 min walk)
- Royal Street Regional Lot (10 min walk)
Garage parking is also available in the following nearby garages:
- Poe Garage (free shuttle location)
- Rivergate Tower Garage (free shuttle location)
- Ft. Brooke Garage
For more info and a map of parking options, visit GFA's site.
Local Artists Spotlight Program
Each year, the GFA selects five artists to be part of its Local Artists Spotlight Program. Funded by a grant from the Gobioff Foundation, the program advances GFA’s mission to bring the finest national and international artists to our area and supports the talented and diverse arts community here in Tampa Bay.
The artists will each receive a free space at the festival and will each have a “remote studio.” Guests will be invited to watch as they practice their craft and are encouraged to engage with these artists and ask questions about how they take an idea and transform it into a finished piece of art.
Once they complete their pieces, artists may sell them during the two days of the festival, giving guests the rare opportunity to own a piece of art that was created before their eyes.
Emerging Artists
Each year, the GFA showcases the work of emerging artists, representing an array of styles and media. From more than 100 applications this year, they selected fifteen artists.
The program recognizes and features the artwork of up-and-coming artists who wish to establish themselves in a professional visual arts career. “Emerging artists” are defined by GFA as those who make less than 25% of their income from their art and have not participated in any major exhibitions.
Each of the fifteen artists will be provided with a booth and a $425 stipend for supplies, as well as mentoring from established Tampa Bay artists. Artwork by each of the artists will be reviewed by the Festival Award Juror, and one of them will receive the $1,500 Emerging Artist Award.
Community Outreach Village
The Community Outreach Village was established for the purpose of presenting Festival goers with an opportunity to enjoy and purchase the artwork of special artists, such as artists with disabilities who participate through organizations such as Arts4All, Pyramid, Inc., and MacDonald Training Center.
These groups appreciate the opportunity for their artists to earn income from sales as well as benefit from the public awareness their participation provides.
GFA for the Kids
Children's Activity Area
This year, there will be a Children’s Activity Area coordinated by the Tampa Museum of Art from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days!
Children will have the unique opportunity to learn actual techniques from participating artists and put their artistic talents to color, paint, and draw. This year’s focus is on art for the visually impaired.
Art Collectors in Training Program
The Art Collectors in Training program (ACT) was organized to encourage the appreciation of the arts in young people, ages 6-14, as an opportunity for them to view and purchase artwork on exhibit from artists participating in the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.
Children will be able to shop in a “kids-only” shopping zone. Most items will range from $5-10, with a small portion of the more valuable pieces of art priced slightly higher.
After they purchase their items, young art collectors and their accompanying adult(s) can meet with the artists face-to-face (names and booth numbers will be displayed on the artwork)! The ACT will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.
Young Artists Expo
GFA’s Young Artists Expo (formerly Scholastic Showcase), which debuted in 2017, allows the community’s youngest artists to display their artwork at the festival with the intention of encouraging them to pursue their artistic talents.
This year the Community Outreach villages includes works from the High School Art Competition and the K-12 Doodad Repurposed Sculpture Competition.
Details:
Saturday, February 28, from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 1, from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
1001 N. Riverfront Park
Tampa, FL 33602
Featured image: Ashli Harper photo by Will Staples, for Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. 2024.