Turner Center hosts 9th Annual ARToberfest

VALDOSTA — The Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts will host the 9th Annual ARToberfest on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Turner Center for the Arts Campus in Valdosta.

Celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month, this popular community festival showcases the talent of local and regional artists while highlighting the arts’ meaningful impact on community life.

ARToberfest will feature dozens of fine arts vendors offering original artwork for sale, providing artists with an opportunity to share their creativity, connect with the community, and grow their businesses. A signature event for the Turner Center and the Valdosta community, ARToberfest offers a fun-filled day of art, entertainment, and family-friendly activities.

All six facilities on the Turner Center Campus will offer free admission during ARToberfest 2026, including the newest addition, the Meta Shaw Coleman Children’s Imagination Station. Festivalgoers can enjoy an Art Park filled with artist vendors, live art demonstrations, live music, free youth activities, professional face painting, trackless train rides, the Fifth Day Farm Petting Zoo, pumpkin painting, and food and beverage vendors. Visitors can also explore the campus’s galleries and creative spaces, including the Annette and Derry Crosby Art Annex, Richard Hill Glass Studio, and the Dugald and Leona Hudson Pottery Studio.

Pre-registration for the Imagination Station is required and includes a waiver for each member entering the facility. The process also includes signing up for scheduled time slots to ensure that all interested parties have an opportunity to enter the Station for fun.

Artists ages 18 and older are invited to compete in the annual Plein Air painting contest for cash prizes. Awards include $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. Plein Air check-in begins at 9 a.m. at the Annette & Derry Crosby Art Annex and winners will be announced at 1:30 p.m. inside the Turner Center main galleries.

ARToberfest 2026 includes free live music featuring 2RiverStation from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m and John Gragg from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Food trucks on site include Bakers BBQ, Kona Ice, The Crew Sips & Stacks, Victoria’s on the Go, and Zig Zag Mediterranean.

The 9th Annual ARToberfest is made possible through the generous support of its sponsors: Ben Blanton of Blanton & Griffin Insurance Agency, Center for the Arts Guild, Georgia Council for the Arts, Lamar Advertising, Mala Vallotton, Meta Shaw Coleman Children’s Imagination Station, National Endowment for the Arts, Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC), Sally Turner Querin, Regional Artists Community (RAC), The Valdosta Daily Times , Valdosta Magazine , and Winn Dixie.

Adequate parking is available adjacent to each of the Turner Center’s facilities along North Patterson, North Ashley, and Webster Streets. For the event schedule and additional information about ARToberfest, call 229-247-2787 or visit turnercenter.org .