Sat, Mar 21
|Stumptown Park, Downtown Matthews
Youth Arts Festival Presented by Charlotte Center for the Arts
Time & Location
Mar 21, 2026, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Stumptown Park, Downtown Matthews, 120 S Trade St, Matthews, NC 28105, USA
About the event
(We're putting the finishing touches on the digital event program--link coming soon!)
Join Charlotte Center for the Arts on Saturday, March 21st from 1:00-5:00 PM at Stumptown Park in Matthews for a celebration of youth creativity at our inaugural Youth Arts Festival--the first of its kind in Charlotte, NC! This vibrant, family-friendly event showcases the incredible artistic talents of young people throughout the Charlotte area through live performances, interactive art-making activities, gallery displays, and creative workshops.
Throughout the afternoon, families will experience a diverse array of artistic expressions including:
🎵 💃 🎭 Music, Dance, and Theater performances by local groups: Performance Academy of Music, Jessie Booth Productions, Shine Musical Theatre, Piedmont Players Theatre, Ignite Dance Productions, Blaze Bhangra, Lumi School of Musical Theatre, China Grove Elementary School, and Eagles Wings
🎨 Visual arts exhibitions created by talented youth artists from our community
🖌️ Interactive stations invite attendees of all ages to explore their own creativity through hands-on projects led by professional teaching artists and community arts organizations.
Whether you're a parent supporting your young artist, an arts educator, a community member who values youth in the community, or simply someone who loves experiencing diverse creative expressions, the Youth Arts Festival offers something inspiring for everyone.
Admission is FREE, making this celebration accessible to all families. Come celebrate the creativity, courage, and boundless imagination of our community's young artists!
Feel free to drop in anytime! Our youth art gallery and vendor booths will be open for the entire event, with youth mainstage performances happening continuously throughout the day.
🌤️ What to Bring: Lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on and enjoy the afternoon!
🎁 When You Arrive:
• Stop by the CCA Welcome Table
• Fill out a FREE raffle ticket for a chance to win a basket full of wonderful prizes from our generous raffle donors Nest Photo Studios (kids photo session, valued at over $1200!) and Stack's Kitchen (gift certificates)
🌮 Come Hungry! There will be 3 food trucks and dessert trucks with plenty of great options for purchase.
Parking info:
If you are using a GPS, we recommend searching for “Stumptown Park, Matthews, NC” and following the directions toward that location; general parking is not available in the Stumptown Park lot. You may also wish to use White Duck Taco's address of 131 E. John Street Matthews 28105 --there is free Town parking behind the restaurant. There is also free Town parking beside Seaboard Brewing, 213 N. Trade Street Matthews 28105. General street parking may also be available. Accessible Parking is very limited, requiring a placard, located at Stumptown Park.
Call for Youth Artists
We’re excited to announce that we are still accepting original artwork in any medium to be featured at the Youth Arts Festival!
This is a fantastic opportunity for artists to share their creativity with the community and have their work displayed at the entrance of the festival for all guests to enjoy.
🖌 Important Details:
Artwork must be delivered to Stumptown Park by 12:00 PM on March 21
Artwork must be picked up by 6:00 PM the same day
✨ Bonus Opportunity:
All submissions will be judged by members of the Charlotte Guild of Artists, and selected artists will receive a $25 stipend!
Bring your creativity, share your talent, and be part of this exciting celebration of youth arts in our community!
SUBMIT YOUR ARTWORK HERE: https://forms.gle/XVPmrMFnBXqzvB6V9
Performer Applications
Performer applications are now closed for this event.
Artist Booth /"Vendor" Applications
Artist booth / "vendor" applications are now closed for this event.
If you or your organization is interested in volunteering at this event, please review our volunteer opportunities (volunteer opportunities are listed at the bottom of the page at the link).
If you have any questions, please email Colleen LeBleu. (**Please note that all official correspondence concerning this and other Charlotte Center for the Arts events will come only from email addresses ending with "@artscenterclt.org")
Youth Arts Festival Presented by Charlotte Center for the Arts is sponsored by Culture Blocks— a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg County—and the Rotary Club of Charlotte South.
A special thank you to the following businesses for donating to our raffle!
Become a Sponsor
Support the Youth Arts Festival and help us celebrate the next generation of talent! Email office@artscenterclt.org to secure your sponsorship. Click here to view the full sponsorship packet with more information.
