Artists work on their murals as attendees watch during the Pasadena Chalk Festival at the Paseo in Pasadena on Saturday, June 15, 2019. (Photo by Nick Agro, Contributing Photographer)
PASADENA – Pasadena’s annual Chalk Festival will return Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23, making a second appearance at its new home at the Pasadena Convention Center.
The convention was nearly canceled last year due to issues with event costs, but was held on the 2023 Father’s Day weekend at the Convention Center.
Free to the public, the festival will host more than 500 artists, 200 chalk murals, an art gallery and a silent auction. It will also provide a live DJ and a beer garden. Visitors are welcome from the hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Active since 1993 and organized by the nonprofit arts organization Light Bringer Project, the festival was previously hosted at locations such as Pasadena City Hall, West Hollywood Park, Universal CityWalk and the Paseo on Colorado Boulevard.
In 2010, the Guinness World Records named the Chalk Festival the largest street-painting festival, “welcoming more than 600 artists using over 25,000 sticks of chalk and drawing a crowd of more than 100,000 visitors in one weekend,” according to the festival’s website.
Patricia Hurley, managing director at Light Bringer Project, said the festival represents Pasadena as a city of the arts.
“We knew that this is an art loving place,” she said. “It is a nest for anything artistic, cultural, and unique. It is important to us that it [the festival] reflects the diversity here.”
Hurley added that the event is great for an afternoon date or an outing with family. For both artists and visitors alike, it is a place of gathering and celebration.
“Returning veteran artists are some of the people that people come out to see each year that do these stunning murals that make your jaw drop,” said Hurley. “They really know how to take it home to the finish line and use every moment that they have out there.”
At the end of the weekend, numerous awards are given to artists, including categories such as “Best in Festival: 1st Place,” “Community Grand Prize” or “Best New Artist.”
La Puente-based artist Liz Perez is a regular at The Chalk Festival.
A painter, Perez’s first time with the festival was in 2010, the same year it was recognized by Guinness World Records. She said the festival is a one-of-a-kind event that caters to everybody.
“You can’t imagine it until you are there seeing it and you can really appreciate it,” she said. “It’s a fun experience watching the people walk by and enjoy the work. You can bring a smile to people’s faces.”
Ventura-based artist Jennifer Swain first participated in the Chalk Festival in 2008. Swain occupies her time by teaching art and painting murals, music rooms and windows.
When asked about the Chalk Festival’s artist community, Swain said that over the years they became a family.
“It’s a really nice community of artists that collaborate,” she said. “[The festival] is also a wonderful resource for the community to get involved with the artists and be able to converse with them and watch their process.”
Another supporter of the Chalk Festival is Pasadena’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Division.
“Many find the Chalk Festival not only visually engaging but a wonderful day of artistic expression,” said Rochelle Branch, the city of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division manager.
For more information, visit the Pasadena Chalk Festival website at https://pasadenachalkfestival.org/.
