Spring Festival on Ponce: (17th Annual) 2027

Event information

Festival on Ponce is ideal for artists seeking strong early-season sales, meaningful collector interactions, and a polished Atlanta market. Space is limited and early applications are encouraged. This carefully curated event features fine art and high-quality craftsmanship across a wide range of media.

Spring Festival on Ponce, established in 2010, is a premier spring outdoor arts festival held along Atlanta's historic Olmsted Linear Park and is widely regarded as the unofficial kickoff to the Atlanta festival season. Taking place each spring on Ponce de Leon Avenue, the festival attracts motivated art buyers and collectors eager to begin the season.

The linear park setting provides continuous foot traffic, extended patron engagement, and an elegant backdrop that enhances the presentation of artwork. Festival on Ponce consistently draws a discerning audience from some of Atlanta's most established and affluent neighborhoods.

Artists benefit from professional event management, strong regional marketing, and a reputation built over more than a decade of successful shows. With limited booth space and a competitive jury process, Festival on Ponce offers artists an exceptional opportunity to launch their festival season in one of Atlanta's most respected spring arts events.

Festival Hours: Saturday 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Categories

• 2-D Mixed Media: Includes more than one type of physical material such as collage, papermaking, encaustic, pen and ink, paint, pencil, watercolor, or photography. The finished art was suitable for wall mounting.
• 3-D Mixed Media: Includes more than one type of physical material such as mosaic, papier mache, clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood, or, any other 3-dimensional objects.
• Ceramics: Original shaped and fired clay including earthenware, porcelain, and raku.
• Digital Art: Two-dimensional works from which the original image is manipulated by the artist using a computer using programs such as Drawing, Illustrator, Paint, or, other software applications.
• Drawing & Printmaking: Original drawings made with pen, pencil, charcoal, pastels, or, chalk. The printmaking process may include pulled plates, linoleum prints, etching, engraving, silkscreen, or, lithography. All prints must be signed and numbered by the artist. Photocopies are not permitted.
• Fiber: Works created from fibers including basketry, batik, weaving, papermaking, knitting, and quilting. An embellishment of manufactured materials is not permitted.
• Glass: An object made of glass including blown, fused, stained, cast, and molded. An embellishment of manufactured materials is not permitted.
• Handicraft: Handmade items made by the artist from manufactured, recycled, or repurposed materials transforming the combined materials into a unique product into a cohesive collection. A complete description of the items is required.
• Jewelry: All Jewelry is crafted from metal, glass, stone, clay, or other materials. Commercial molds or casts are not permitted. At least 50% of the organic materials in the finished product used must be produced by the artist.
• Metal: Functional and non-sculptural works incorporating metal.
• Painting: The use of oils, acrylics, watercolors, and tempera suitable for hanging.
• Photography: Prints, transparencies, or digital images made from the artist's original negative or taken with a digital camera that has been processed by the artist.
• Sculpture: Three-dimensional work is done in any individual medium.
• Wood & Furniture: Original works in wood that are built, turned, carved or, tooled. Embellished manufactured wood items are not permitted.

Prohibited items

• T-shirts and commercial clothing
• Posters
• Manufactured toys
• Commercially manufactured or reproduced items (resale)
• Jewelry is made from more than 50% manufactured components
• Any item that employs the use of commercially available molds or patterns

Amenities

• Designated Festival Hotline available during event hours regarding assistance, emergencies, questions, concerns, etc.
• Friday load-in
• 24 Hour on-site Security
• Parking nearby

Rules and regulations

1. The Festival provides only the ground space for exhibits. Each Exhibitor must provide and prepare his/her own displays. We require Exhibitors to use white top tents of EZ UP quality or higher. All tents must be weighted.
2. Prior to the Festival, Exhibitors will be notified of their site location and detailed setup information. Plan to set up your booth on Friday before the Festival. Please do not call for booth assignments, they will be posted on Zapp once they are completed.
3. After unloading Exhibitor vehicles must be moved to designated parking. Vehicles will not be permitted to remain in the exhibition space during the Festival, nor may they enter the Festival grounds until approved by the Festival Committee.
4. Exhibitors shall be responsible for obtaining any required licenses, permits, or approvals under state laws applicable to their activity at the Festival and for paying any taxes, sales taxes, fees, or other charges that may be incurred.
5. The Festival is a rain or shine event.
6. In the occurrence that the event has to be canceled, postponed, or suspend, as a result of a pandemic such as the COVID Pandemic of 2020-2021. Credit for the upcoming show will be given and a Zapp code will be generated.
7. Submission by credit card is an acceptance of these terms and as such in the event that any dispute related to credit card charges, will be binding under the terms of this agreement, additionally, the artist agrees to defend (accept) said charges and associated fees.
8. The Festival reserves the right to cancel an Exhibitor's contract. The Festival may require the Exhibitor to leave the Festival at any time if the Exhibitor is in violation of any rules and/or regulations stated herein. Neither AFFPS nor its agents or representatives will be responsible for any injury, damage, or loss that may occur to the Exhibitor, the Exhibitor's agents or representatives, or, his/her property from any cause whatsoever. Exhibitors should obtain, at their own expense, insurance against any loss, damage, or injury they may require.
9. All Artist Market merchandise must be original, handmade, and created by the Exhibitor. Reproductions must be clearly identified as such. Original art must occupy at least 50% of the artist's space. Browse bins may occupy only minimal space and must be aesthetically pleasing and not obstruct patron flow. All artwork on display must be for sale.
10. Artists may only show work in categories approved by the Jury.
11. Artists must be present with their work for the duration of the Festival. No commercial agents, dealers, or, salespeople may operate an artist's booth.
12. Additionally, the undersigned agrees to indemnify any attempts at charged backs on credit cards or charges made via Zapp as related to this application.

Weights

AFFPS requires professional weights, min. 45 lbs. - 50 lbs per/each on all tent legs. Because we are set up in City Park settings, no one is permitted to stake, tie to a tree, lamp post, etc. Any artist that arrives without weights will not be permitted to set up and as such will forfeit their participation fee.

Allowed weights: tube weights, sand-bag weights in cloth bags, concrete-filled buckets, stabilizer bars with sandbags, and weight plates or dumbbells, each minimum 45 lbs per tent leg.

Not permitted: grid panels only (no weights), stabilizer bars only (no weights), raw concrete blocks or bricks, water containers (one-gallon water bottles), sand bags in plastic bags.

Booth information and fees

Application fee: $30 (non-refundable administrative fee). Standard booth fee: $300. Double booth fee: $600 (limited availability). Corner upgrade: $100 (limited availability). Electricity: $100 (limited availability).

Assigned booth spaces are approximately 12' deep and 10' wide or greater. Double booths are also available. The festival route is along a path inside the park and the setup is on grass. All work exhibited must be confined to the assigned space(s). Artists are responsible for providing their own means of displaying their work. All artist tents must be weighted with a minimum of 40 pounds per leg with a white canopy.

Artists will be able to unload near their booth during set-up and tear down. Artists can load in only during the designated times and must check in with a photo ID. Artists will be responsible for hand carting to their booth space from the street.

Refund and cancellation policy

Any cancellations up to 90 days prior to the event will have fees applied to the next scheduled show. There are no refunds within 60 days of the event. There are no refunds for booth fees applied to a previously canceled show. All credits must be used within one calendar year and it is the artist's responsibility to track them. Application/administrative fees are non-refundable. There are no rain dates and no refunds for show cancellation due to weather or any other reason.

Jury details

Average number of applications submitted each year: 175. Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate: 125. Average number of jury-exempt artists invited: 3. Returning artists are selected by the show director or board (directors choice). Jurors view images on a computer monitor, score applications on a 1-10 scale, and number 3. The show uses a single jury panel that scores applications for all mediums.

Applications are scored by a jury of 3 on a scale of 1-10, organized as a single jury panel scoring applications for all mediums, reviewed by category, with images viewed on a computer monitor. About 175 applications are typically submitted, with about 125 artists selected and 3 exempt-from-jury artists invited.