April 02, 2021

Limited capacity means a limited amount of tickets will be available for the 40th Artsfest on Historic Walnut Street, presented by Great Southern Bank, May 1 & 2. Want to go? Get your tickets today!

Artsfest will look different in 2021 as festival organizers work to keep the community safe from COVID-19. In the past, the $5 admission fee was good for the whole weekend. This year, however, attendees are asked to purchase a spot in one of seven flights that give them access to Artsfest for two hours.

That means the festival will never go over capacity limits set by the City of Springfield and the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

“This was not a decision that was made lightly and we are so grateful for the guidance from the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and the City of Springfield,” Leslie Forrester, Executive Director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, said. “The safety of the public is our primary concern and we are ready to kick off this season of recovery for our arts economy.”

Ready to pick your flight? Here are your choices.

Saturday, May 1

• 10 a.m.-noon
• noon-2 p.m.
• 2-4 p.m.
• 4-6 p.m.

Sunday, May 2

• 10 a.m.-noon
• noon-2 p.m.
• 2-5 p.m.

Fewer than 2500 tickets are available for each flight. The only way for guests to ensure entry is to have their passes purchased online before heading to Walnut Street.

“We are excited to welcome the community back to Artsfest in a safe way,” Jennifer Moseley, Downtown Springfield Association Events Manager, said. “We have many entry times available to choose from, so guests can enjoy more than 100 artists, 15 food vendors and wonderful local performers who are looking forward to seeing you back on Historic Walnut Street. Because we have capacity limits to follow, we encourage guests to purchase tickets in advance. Ticket times are not transferrable, so choose your time wisely.”

Artsfest tickets are once again just $5, with children ages 5 and under admitted free. All tickets will have an added convenience fee. Information collected at checkout will be used for contact tracing.

Other sponsors making this event possible include 417 Magazine, Aaron Sachs & Associates, Andy B’s,  DeLong Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning, Heart of America, Kum & Go, Midwest Family Broadcasting, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper Bottling Company, Positronic Industries, Renewal by Andersen and SS&B Heating and Cooling, Thompson Sales and University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center. More sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit SpringfieldArtsfest.org.