We always love the Burg, but sometimes there’s a good enough reason cross the bridge. This Saturday and Sunday, the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is giving us a great reason (and a free one) to make our way to Tampa.

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is one of the must prestigious cultural events in the country. The event returns to Julian B Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa, March 5-6. For half a century, artists and art lovers from all parts of the country migrated annually to the Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, where the country’s most accomplished artists and rising stars vie for the $15,000 Raymond James Best of Show Award and an additional $72,000 in prize money.

The March 2022 Festival will showcase artists and their work to include ceramic, digital, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, watercolor and wood. This event will also feature the works of local young artists and a weekend full of live entertainment.

While the event includes talent from around the world, this event also makes sure to shine a line on rising artists in the Tampa Bay region. This local section is a pure showcase of Tampa Bay artists who are not eligible for jury award prizes. So, what are these artists competing for?

While the event includes talent from around the world, this event also makes sure to shine a line on rising artists in the Tampa Bay region. This local section is a pure showcase of Tampa Bay artists who are not eligible for jury award prizes. So, what are these artists competing for?

Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is a huge opportunity for emerging artists

Awards:

Raymond James Financial Best of Show Award ($15,000)
Board of Directors Award ($9,000)
Mayor’s Award ($5,000)
Roddy Brownlee Reed Award of Artistic Excellence ($4,000)
President’s Award ($3,000)
The Lightening Foundation Award ($2,000)
Eileen Hirsch Memorial Emerging Artist Award ($1,500)
30 Awards of Merit ($1,300)
3 Vinik Family Foundation Scholastic Showcase Awards (Student $1,000)
3 Vinik Family Foundation Scholastic Showcase High School Representative Awards (Student’s School $2,000)

Scholarship:

GFA Collegiate Scholarship ($2,500 each, 3 total)

Julian B Lane Riverfront Park is the perfect green space to showcase art. Its location puts it just steps away from Armature Works in Tampa Heights, and offers sensational views of the Hillsborough River.

This event will also include live entertainment. Those in the region who live by “Rule Number 7” will be delighted to know that none other than Denis Phillips, Chief Meteorologist for ABC Action News, will be the Emcee for Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.

Food, music, and art on a sprawling green space

A full lineup of performers is still TBA. But you can follow along on GFA’s website for updates.

Come hungry for art, and local eats. The food and beverage vendors represent a wide array of the best that region has to offer. Beer and wine are available in three locations throughout the Festival grounds. A portion of the proceeds from on-site food & beverage vendors benefits the Tampa Museum of Art through an agreement with FRIENDS of the Museum.

You can learn about the event’s history, including its humble beginnings as the “Little Art Show That Could” on its event page. If you’re someone looking to volunteer, you can apply online. The same goes for any artists, and vendors hoping to participate in this year’s festivities.

Julian B Lane Riverfront Park is located at 1001 N Boulevard.

This article was produced in partnership with Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.