31st Annual Festival of the Arts: Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24-25, 2026

Celebrating its 31st year, the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) Festival of the Arts is one of Northwest Florida’s premier juried fine arts festivals, bringing together more than 100 acclaimed artists from across the country for a colorful weekend of art, music, food and family fun.

Stroll the Festival grounds and discover an exceptional collection of original artwork in a variety of mediums. Meet the artists, watch live demonstrations and find one-of-a-kind pieces to take home. Throughout the weekend, enjoy continuous live entertainment, hands-on children’s activities, an art raffle, local food vendors, a beer and wine garden, and more. On Saturday, festivalgoers can also cast their votes for the coveted People’s Choice Award.

Festival attendees will have the opportunity to meet 2026 Featured Poster Artist Jamie Babula of Panama City Beach and view her hyperrealistic colored-pencil artwork, Drawn to Paint, created especially for this year’s Festival. The original artwork will be offered in a Silent Auction benefiting MKAF.

Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Mattie Kelly Dugas Pavilion Green | Destin, Florida
Admission and parking are free.

Proceeds from the Festival benefit MKAF's ArtsReach education initiatives, which provide arts programming for K-12 students, individuals with special needs and members of the military community along the Emerald Coast.

For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to become a Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation member, visit MKAF.org or call (850) 650-2226.

Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF), a non-profit arts organization with a mission to champion arts and culture for all. Since its inception in 1995, MKAF has inspired more than 424,000 children in more than 100 schools and partner agencies. Through its community education initiative ArtsReach, dynamic programming serves K-12 students, people with special needs, and the military community along the Emerald Coast. As a presenting organization, MKAF’s Concerts in the Village series showcases the Southeast United States’ most vibrant performing artists and bands to more than 15,000 patrons each spring. More than 100 artists convene in Destin each fall for the Festival of the Arts — one the preeminent arts festivals along the Gulf coast. MKAF has long partnered with multiple regional non-profits and school districts in the communities that it serves to ensure access to the arts for all.