Chickamauga
Art & Folk Festival
Chickamauga Art Festival 2025
FESTIVAL SUMMARY
The Chickamauga Art Festival is a vibrant celebration of folk-inspired art, tradition, and innovation, highlighting works that honor heritage while embracing fresh interpretations across styles and backgrounds. Hosted by The 109 Gallery, this inclusive, one-day outdoor event will spotlight artists, makers, and craftspeople from throughout the Southeast and beyond. The festival champions Appalachian and Indigenous traditions as well as abstract, conceptual, and contemporary interpretations of folk art, opening a space for storytelling, cultural resonance, and artistic diversity.
Live music
Hands-on art and craft demonstrations
Art exhibition inside The 109 Gallery
Vibrant vendor market with original art, handmade goods, and local eats
Family-friendly atmosphere, free and open to the public. Everyone’s invited to come explore where community, tradition, and creativity meet.
The 109 invites artists and makers to apply for this year’s Chickamauga Art Festival, a vibrant celebration of folk art, craft, contemporary art, and local creativity. This year, we proudly honor the rich traditions of Appalachian and Indigenous cultures as they appear across these categories.
Whether you work in painting, poetry, writing, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, woodworking, jewelry, or other handmade arts, we welcome your participation in this inclusive and dynamic event. Open to Food vendors & other locally focused or sourced artisans, makers, organizations, and more!
Come share your work and be part of a growing community that uplifts artistic expression and cultural heritage in the heart of Downtown Historic Chickamauga.
Saturday August 16th
Free & Open to the Public with Fun for All Ages
Art & Folk Festival & Exhibition 9am-6pm
Reception for art exhibition 6pm with light refreshments all vendors welcome to attend in celebration.
More fun extended into the evening with a Concert at the Historic Gordon Lee Mansion.
We are excited to be sharing this day with the KZ106 Family Reunion on the steps of the historic Gordon Lee Mansion in Chickamauga, GA! Sponsored by Walker Rocks and historic downtown Chickamauga, this celebration kicks off with the venue opening at 2:00 PM and live music starting at 3:00 PM. The lineup includes Murder of Crowes, Use Your Illusion, Tell Me Lies, and headliner Stairway 2 Zeppelin. For more information & to purchase tickets check them out at www.wskz.com.
What to Know for Vendors
Chickamauga Art Festival with Exhibition 2025 August 16th 9am-6pm
Location: Historic Downtown Chickamauga on our Main Street.
Application Due: July 31st
Fee: Early Bird Special $50 May-June , July $75
Those willing to do craft/folk demos please fill in that section with proposed interactive,
demonstration, or other engagement with the audience.
Limited Spots!
Vendor Logistics:
Vendor to supply their own tent for a 10x10 space. Map, space number, and further details will be shared once application is received and reviewed. Application submission is not a guarantee on participation until vendor contract is signed. 50% of application fee is non-refundable as it covers operational costs of reviewing applications.
Open Call
for Vendors & Artists
Accompanying Art Exhibition
“A Folk Perspective”
Curatorial Statement
This exhibition celebrates folk art as a living, evolving language, open to both traditional and contemporary interpretations. With a focus on honoring Appalachian and Indigenous artists and the cultural lineages they carry, the show also welcomes artists from all backgrounds whose work engages with the spirit of folk through place, story, material, or memory. From the symbolic to the abstract, these works reflect the enduring power of folk traditions to connect, question, and inspire across generations.
This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your work within the 109 gallery, Vendors or Artists looking to be considered for the accompanying art exhibition Please apply through the artist application. There will be a printed zine catalog of the exhibition with one copy provided free of charge for each artist in the exhibition. Catalog will also be available for purchase at a minimum cost to the public.
Applications Due: June 30th by Midnight
Application Fee: $10 this covers operational costs, gallery overhead as this is an artist-run space and not a non-profit, promotion of artists and exhibition, printed catalog, marketing, and access to the community free of charge.
Works delivered by mail or in person by: August 1st mailed work must have a return label, more shipping tips and information can be found in the application and artists agreement upon acceptance.
Exhibition Dates: Opening Reception August 16th 6:00pm
Artist Talk with Q&A: August 16th 6:30pm Artist able to attend in person are encouraged to participate in a casual and short artist talk sharing about their work, process, and inspiration with a Q&A that will take place at 6:30pm during the opening reception.
Exhibition from August 16th - September 20th
Art Pick up or return Delivery September 21st-27th
Printed Zine Catalog one free copy for each artist in the exhibition, those unable to pick up their copy will have it mailed when artwork is returned or picked up.
Become a Sponsor
Your support not only goes towards the arts and cultural of our region it contributes to the rich history and contemporary community of the Historic Downtown Chickamauga Georgia. To learn more about this area please visit www.cityofchickamauga.org and see our Downtown Renaissance Plan or request the PDF directly.
For more Information see below & visit our Support page.
Consider becoming a sponsor today!
Supports gallery representation for artists, free public programming, and the year-round mission of The 109 Gallery to provide arts access and representation in the Southeast. Ideal for sponsors committed to cultural equity, education, and investing in the future of regional art. Along with Cultural Steward and Community Partner level support.
$10,000
Helps fund hands-on youth and family art stations, festival infrastructure, and local artist visibility. Perfect for organizations who believe in fostering creativity through tradition and community learning.
$5,000
Provides essential support for local artist, artist resources, and accessibility, keeping the festival free and vibrant for all. A great fit for community-minded individuals and small businesses who value regional craft, heritage, culture, education, and creative place-making.
$500-$3,000