28 Feb Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth, FL

So, I kind of have a thing for street art. I love it. I mean really love it, which is probably why the Wynwood Art District is my favorite neighborhood in Miami. I’m guessing it’s also why we keep returning to the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival year after year. There is something unique about this festival that really intrigues me—the art is not permanent and it’s painted in the middle of the street, so you only have a limited time to view it. Urgency gets me every time.

Every year in February, for one weekend only, the streets of downtown Lake Worth are blocked off and turned into canvasses. Artists are given a taped out square on the street and materials so they can start creating their masterpiece; the only materials allowed are chalk/pastels in a solid form and tempera paint (as a primer only). The streets in Lake Worth are made out of shell rock, which is a very difficult surface to work on and why they allow a base coat of the tempera paint. Many of the artists are so talented; it’s hard to believe they are only using chalk! It is truly amazing to see what can be created in just two days time.

In addition to the street painting, you will also find live entertainment, stationed at various points throughout the streets as well as at the main stage in the park. There are also numerous food vendors that offer treats, meals and drinks. If street food isn’t your thing, there are many great restaurants lining the streets as well. Two of our favorites are the Havana Hideout and Bizaare Ave Café, but there are so many others we haven’t even had a chance to visit.

Although the artists create their work on both Saturday and Sunday, you will see more works in progress on Saturday and more finished products on Sunday. This year we visited on Saturday, and it was fun to see the paintings come to life, but I was a bit bummed I didn’t get a chance to see the larger, more extravagant paintings when they were finished. To really experience the festival to the full effect, it would be great to visit both days, so you can watch the transformations take place as well as see the finished products.

It appeared as though the paintings were grouped into categories—there are sections for the art schools that participate, sections where there were movie themes, animal themes, people themes, perspective themes and so much more. You will find hundreds of paintings lining the streets and the people watching is quite entertaining as well. My favorite drawings are the ones that play with perspective—they make you feel as though you can jump right into the painting.

Each and every year, I am amazed at the talent and ability of the artists; there are so many wonderful works of art created. It’s just sad that they only last until the rain comes and washes them away! Until next year…

Do you like street art? Have you been to a festival like this before?