Courtesy CityArts
For the third-annual Orlando Mural Festival, downtown denizens can look forward to the appearance of vibrant, kaleidoscope paintings adorning six to eight more buildings that line the streets. These are in addition to the eight permanent murals painted last year and another one painted in 2024.
After years of work on the Mural Fest, including gaining permissions from building owners, Barbara Hartley, executive director of the Downtown Arts District, the presenting organization, feels that the ongoing effort to literally paint the town finally has momentum.
“Business owners, downtown residents and visitors alike embraced the new public artwork, noting its impact on beautifying the area and creating a stronger sense of place,” she says.
The free festival kicks off Thursday, September 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the district’s monthly Third Thursday event at CityArts. There, attendees can meet this year’s artists, see an exhibition of works by previous artists and enjoy food, art exhibitions and live entertainment in the adjacent FORDify the Arts Courtyard.
The festival will continue through Saturday, September 19, with a block party from noon to 10 p.m. along recently redesigned Magnolia Avenue. The daylong event—new this year—will include up to 20 artists painting panels seven to eight feet tall, an art market, an artist talk and a reception.
Then there’s the crowd-pleasing Mural Team Battle—in which two artist teams will enter a fast-paced competition to win the most votes from attendees. The selected muralists—who are from Florida and beyond—will prep their projects near Pine Street and Orange Avenue a week or two in advance. Last year’s festival drew an estimated 10,000 people.
“I’m happy people understand the value murals bring to Orlando,” says Hartley. “After all, we are a creative city with an abundance of talent.”
