Fort Worth Arts Festivals and Museum Events to Know — Your Arty April Planning Guide

Festival season is in full swing and Fort Worth’s beloved Main Street Arts Festival is beckoning this weekend. That will be followed by the return of Southside’s vast street party called ArtsGoggle. Of course, that is just the start of the Fort Worth spring festival fun.

The city’s arts venues and museums are back full force with new exhibits and events coming up across Cowtown. Here is your guide to Fort Worth’s Best Arts Happenings:

Main Street Arts Festival

This Thursday, April 7 through Sunday, April 10

This signature festival will line the bricked Main Street in Fort Worth’s downtown again — after taking two years off because of COVID. Main Street Arts Festival is back just in time to celebrate the annual event’s 35th year this weekend.

The third largest arts fest of its kind in America features a jury selected group of just 200 artists. With more than 1,000 entries this year, landing one of those coveted 200 spots certainly means something. Throughout the free four day event, the selected artists will sell an estimated $4-million worth of art, and nearly 100 musical acts will perform on four stages. Dozens of restaurants and food vendors will also be on hand at Main Street Arts Festival.

ArtsGoggle

April 23

The Near Southside neighborhood welcomes back its own neighborhood arts fest featuring mostly local artists. From noon until 10 pm on Saturday, April 23, 21 blocks of Magnolia will become the stage for ArtsGoggle. This free event will showcase 750 artists and more than 20 bands, (largely local musicians) will provide background music throughout the day.

ArtsGoggle typically attracts a reported crowd of more than 60,000 people. Visitors are invited to stroll and peruse the artists’ booths, which will stretch more than a mile. Adjacent businesses also get in on the fun, often recording one of their best sales days of the year.

Amon Carter Museum

Through May 8

¡Printing the Revolution!, is on view now at the Amon Carter Museum. Organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the colorful exhibit explores the rise of Chicano graphics within early social movements and the ways in which artists since then have advanced these innovative printmaking practices with themes of social justice. A special event will be held at the museum in celebration of the exhibit on Saturday, April 23 with special activities planned and food and drinks available between 2 pm and 6 pm.

Kimbell Art Museum – The Language of Beauty in African Art

Running through July 31

The Kimbell debuted its special exhibition called The Language of Beauty in African Art earlier this week. The remarkable exhibition features more than 200 remarkable African artworks from public and private collections around the world. It will remain on view through July 31.

From captivating masks, powerful figures, carved sculptures and exquisitely crafted prestige objects, the exhibit seeks to reveal how art informed and reflected life in sub-Saharan Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Modern Art Museum ― Recent Acquisitions

Running through April 24

In celebration of The Modern’s 20th anniversary this year, the museum has its outstanding permanent collection called Recent Acquisitions on view for all to see. The exhibit runs through April 24, so catch it while you still can.

The Magnolia at the Modern film series is also ongoing. It showcases critically acclaimed films in the Modern’s auditorium. Check the museum’s website for details and showtimes.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ― Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody

This Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 10

Canadian pianist Angela Cheng will tackle one of the repertoire’s greatest challenges: Rachmaninoff’s spirited Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The program opens with American composer and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Higdon’s Blue Cathedral and builds to Respighi’s Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome.

April will be a big month for the arts in Fort Worth. This is a great time to get out there and get into the art.