Just a week after crowds of Easter shoppers subsided, the Broadway Market was packed with eager guests again. Instead of butter lambs or handmade Easter eggs, these crowds were there for something else: Family ArtFest 2026. They were not disappointed, and the market was bubbling with energy and excitement right from the very beginning.

Visitors marveled at engaging performances all day. Nonstop music kept the energy high with recognizable hits and old favorites, a spectacular magic show featured gravity defying tricks and impressive feats, and an incredible BubbleMania performance left everyone floating away in awe!

Hands-on activity stations featured take-home art opportunities of all kinds. Experienced Teaching Artists and teen ArtWorks Apprentices stood between tables of eager young artists as they demonstrated activities and guided the creative exploration of young artists. After a few stops, every purse, pocket, and backpack was packed with watercolor paintings, recycled glass magnets, miniature carousels, slap bracelets, and handmade zines.

A team of caricature artists, balloon twisters, and face painters brought smiles to the faces of hundreds of children who overflowed with excitement. Families watched in disbelief as balloons were crafted into their favorite animals, children marveled as their foreheads and cheeks became canvases for masterpieces of artwork, and everyone giggled as caricatures highlighting their most endearing features were revealed. 

Arts Integration Kits full of at-home art activities, art supplies, and carefully curated lesson plans were packaged neatly into drawstring bags and handed directly to creators eager to express their youthful artistry. 

It seemed like everyone in Buffalo was there to join in the fun. Families, community leaders, local elected officials, and arts supporters from across Buffalo stopped in to enjoy a day dedicated to art in the community. They tried their hands at magic tricks, admired the art surrounding them, and some even found themselves enveloped by human-size bubbles.

As the day wound to a close, the Broadway Market gradually quieted and emptied. Easels were dropped, supplies were packed away, and sound equipment was piled into a van. But as Family ArtFest attendees returned home and unpacked the spoils of the day, another wave of art and music filled homes in every neighborhood of the city. 

Magnets and watercolors found their way onto refrigerators, supplies were unpacked and put quickly to use creating new masterpieces, and household items became tuneful accompaniment for living room dance parties. 

Family ArtFest is Arts for Learning WNY’s largest public event of the year. After three years of presenting Family ArtFest annually, this year’s festival welcomed over 800 eager artists in our community. 

This incredible event is made possible and remains free to our community thanks to the generous support of the Honorable Taisha St. Jean Tard and the Honorable Lawrence Dupre of the Erie County Legislature, along with City of Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski.

View our album to see more photos from an incredible afternoon of art, community, and fun: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCQMi5