2023 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
The oldest and largest festival of its type in the world takes over Houston April 6-16, 2023! Featuring over a week of excitement and creativity, The Orange Show's Houston Art Car Festival & Parade presented by Team Gillman features over 250 mobile masterpieces designed and created by artists, individuals, schools, non-profits, corporations and anyone with a dream and a set of wheels.
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Powered by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, one of the leading folk and outsider art organizations in the country, the Houston Art Car Parade celebrates the artist in everyone and the "drive to create," and has become one of the most recognized and beloved events in Houston.
parade day!
Thursday, April 6
MID MAIN FIRST THURSDAY
6-10 PM | 3500-3700 Main St.
The official start of The Orange Show’s 36th Annual Houston Art Car Festival & Parade kicks off at the always-fun monthly series, First Thursday at Mid Main, which will benefit the Orange Show Center for Visionary in April with illuminated art cars and interactive art activities. A $5 donation allows access to the event with live music at various venues around Mid Main as well as a curated market on Winbern Street, beer sampling from Saint Arnold and more with 100% of donations going to the Orange Show.
EASTER ORANGE ART CAR HUNT
Saturday, April 8
10AM - 1PM | Smither Park - 2441 Munger St.
A 39-year-old Orange Show tradition and a fun, free and creative Easter Egg hunt for the whole family.
Let the kids loose to find hundreds of candy-filled eggs, prizes, and, of course, oranges! Kids and families
will also have an opportunity to see and explore a selection of Art Cars and meet their artists.
9AM - 1PM | All Over Houston
Thursday, April 13
MAIN STREET DRAG
Designed to “bring the parade to the people,” the Main Street Drag is an opportunity for Art Cars and their artists to visit schools, hospitals, nursing homes, developmental facilities and other locations where residents may not be able to participate on their own at The Orange Show’s Houston Art Car Festival & Parade events. Over 100 cars will create a series of “mini parades” that will make their way to designated locations as the artists spend time showing off their rolling masterpieces, talk about their inspirations and how they built them while bringing smiles to everyone along the way.
6 - 10PM | Discovery Green - 1500 McKinney St.
Thursday, April 13
ART CAR SNEAK PEEK
A free and family-friendly evening under the stars in Downtown Houston featuring live music, art activities for the kids, food & drinks, and the opportunity to interact with 100+ art cars and on display and meet their artists throughout in the park and along Avenida Houston. The annual Art Car Sneak Peek is one of the first public opportunities to see new entries rolling in this year’s parade.
6 - 11PM | Orange Show World Headquarters - 2401 Munger St.
Friday, April 14
THE LEGENDARY ART CAR BALL
Wild costumes, live music, interactive and performance art, food, drinks, and a huge selection of illuminated and fire-breathing art cars are hallmarks of the annual Legendary Art Car Ball. Featuring performances from New Orleans avant-garde “rap cabaret” sensation Boyfriend, Austin’s lauded electro-pop performer Caleb de Casper, Houston’s DJ Amarji, the high energy Free Rads 2nd Line, and more to be announced. Immersive and interactive art installations by INPUT/OUTPUT, Moon Papas, and Maria Chavez, fire performances from Ms. YET & The Renegade Carnies, and the visual spectacle of hundreds of glittering, twinkling, bouncing, and pulsating art cars scattered throughout the Orange Show World Headquarters 8-acre campus. Tickets start at $40
THE LINEUP PARTY
Saturday, April 15
11am - 2pm | Allen Parkway @ Heiner St.
Join Splice Records and Saint Arnold Brewing Company for The Lineup Party – your chance to peruse all 250+ art cars as they get ready for the parade. Enjoy live music on the Saint Arnold Brewing Company stage, beverage booths, food trucks, sponsor activations, games, prizes and more.
THE H-E-B KIDS CREATIVE ZONE
Saturday, April 15
11AM - 2PM | Sam Houston Park - 1000 Bagby St.
Ideally situated on the frontlines of the parade starting cars, the Kids Zone features an array of creative activities for both kids and adults alike. Guests to the FREE event will enjoy interactive and creative activations and performances from community partners including Aeolian Manor Foundation, Alley Theatre’s El Zocalo, Art League Houston, The ARTZ, CAMH Teen Council, Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston Botanic Garden, Houston Mariachi Festival, Houston Public Library, MECA, Ripley Cheer, and more.
THE VIPit EXPERIENCE
Saturday, April 15
12 - 4PM | Hermann Square at City Hall - 901 Bagby St.
The ultimate viewing party and largest fundraiser for the Orange Show’s Houston Art Car Festival & Parade offers unobstructed front row views of the parade as it rolls through Downtown, all set within the beautiful Hermann Square at City Hall. The event features complimentary bites from over a dozen local chefs and restaurants, cocktails, pre-parade entertainment, kids’ art activities, swag bags, live parade commentating from notable Houston personalities, and nearby reserved parking.
THE ORANGE SHOW'S 36th ANNUAL
Saturday, April 15
HOUSTON ART CAR PARADE
PRESENTED BY TEAM GILLMAN
2PM | Along Allen Parkway & Smith Street
For the 36th year, 250 rolling masterpieces will take over the city’s streets as nearly 300,000 fans cheer them on from the sidelines. The parade officially begins at the intersection of Dallas and Bagby Streets (on Allen Parkway) heading into Downtown before circling City Hall and heading outbound onto Allen Parkway out of Downtown until dispersing at Waugh Drive. As always, the parade is FREE TO ATTEND.
ART CAR AWARDS CEREMONY
Sunday, April 16
11AM - 2PM | Orange Show World Headquarters - 2334 Gulf Terminal Drive
Over $16,000 will be distributed to Art Car artists and groups in various categories through a judging process that rates entries based on their creativity, artistic techniques and inspiration. The public is invited to come celebrate the winners and get a final chance to see this year’s Art Car entries and meettheir artists.