On the second weekend of October, between 80,000 and 100,000 people flock to Marietta Square for its annual Chalktoberfest, which combines eccentric chalk art with eclectic beer and wine selections to support the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art (MCMA). Prior to its formation, one of the MCMA board members attended the Sarasota Int'l Chalk Festival in Sarasota, Florida, a fundraiser for the Avenida de Colores 501c3 Cultural Arts Organization. This festival brought in 350,000 people and raised approximately 2.5 million dollars for its organization. When she returned, the board member shared her experience with Sally Macaulay, the executive director of MCMA, and instantly, Macaulay was inspired.
The event started as part of Marietta’s Art in the Park on Labor Day weekend of 2012. Unfortunately, rain began to pour, and all the chalk creations were washed away, colors instantly dyeing the streets. As a result, Macaulay concluded that she was going to start her own event the following year. Originally established as strictly Marietta’s Chalk Festival, Macaulay sought funds from the board of Downtown Marietta to compensate the artists for their work. One of the board members asked, “If you’re giving all the money to the artists, how are you making money for the art museum?” Ultimately, she wasn’t. At the time, beer festivals were starting to pop up around the country, and Macaulay had the idea to combine the two. As a result, Chalktoberfest was born in 2015.
Nine years later, 86 professional artists from all over the world and a Craft Beer Festival featuring 125 beers and 25 wines take over Marietta Square. This family-friendly event further expands to include food trucks, amateur chalk contests, arts and crafts vendors, a scavenger hunt for children, and live music. “I just love to see what the professional artists come up with every year,” Macaulay said. “There’s no theme this year, so submissions have been everything from Snow White to Old Master’s paintings.” Her favorite chalk creations, though? “The 3D pieces are so cool. We had a Georgia Bulldog two years ago that you could stand on, and it looked like you were in the air.”
While the underlying purpose of this event is to raise money for MCMA, its mission is to draw people together and build a community through the sharing of art. Macaulay said, “What is a better way to build community through art than to put it on the street?”
Since its establishment, Chalktoberfest has been honored as the Best Festival in Cobb County by Cobb Life Magazine in both 2016 and 2017, received the Mayor's Art Award from the City of Marietta and the Spot On Award for Best Event in Cobb County from Cobb Travel and Tourism, and has been named the Best Festival in Georgia by Georgia Business Journals for 2022 and 2023.
This event is rain or shine, but if it rains, Chalktoberfest has the “best rain plan out of anybody in the country.” Should rain be in the forecast, chalk artists are given a tarp. The second the first raindrop falls, Macaulay sounds a blowhorn to instigate the covering of the chalk art with the provided tarp, protecting and preventing color from dyeing the streets like in 2012. When the rain stops, artists immediately undo the tarp, roll it back up, and resume their creations.
This year, Chalktoberfest takes place on October 12th and 13th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with the Craft Beer Festival happening on Saturday, October 12th from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and the community chalk competition occurring on Sunday, October 13th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. While tickets must be purchased for the Craft Beer Festival, this community-building event is free to the public, allowing families to gather from all over and experience a unique and creative weekend unlike any other.
Make sure to purchase your tickets to the beer festival for $45 through the month of September and $50 at the door. Visit https://www.chalktoberfest.com/ or https://mariettacobbartmuseum.org for more information.