Planning is well underway for the 2026 Kincardine Art Crawl, returning September 11 to 13 for a weekend that will transform downtown Kincardine into a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture, and community.
Reflecting on last year’s inaugural event, organizer Andreah Barker said the response exceeded expectations.
"We didn't know what would happen when we first imagined the Art Crawl. We simply put the idea out into the community, and people showed up in the most generous ways," Barker shared. "Artists, businesses, creators, event organizers, teachers, and community members, everyone brought something wonderful! I can't wait to see what the community builds this year!"
The Art Crawl encourages locals and visitors alike to explore, participate, and enjoy the arts.
"It started with an exhibition at Grey Matter Beer Company, and then there was going to be another exhibition down at the Walker House Museum. And I thought, what a great connection, and maybe we can have some more art in between and have a weekend of events, and it just grew," she said. "Last year, we had about 2,000 people, approximately, come through town into the market and the different events."
Looking ahead to this year’s Crawl, Barker highlights the wide variety of activities attendees can enjoy, including a curated exhibition by Jennifer Mahood, the Community Round Robin collaborative art event, and the Art Alive Market in Victoria Park.
"We'll have exhibitions again at Grey Matter and Walker House. We're going to have a music-inspired event...and also a singer-songwriter event," she continued. "We'll have an art battle, which is really fun. It's where people can come out and watch artists, given prompts in the moment, create art in the moment and vote on their favourite one."
Barker emphasized the importance of creativity and community in the event.
"I've been a creative soul my entire life, from dance music to Art, to writing, and I think creativity just fills life with joy and allows us to open up, connect and create. I think that it's just such an important event. I've heard so many people come away from it saying, they felt so good, and it awakens something," Barker explained. "As humans, I think we're meant to create where we're meant to create beauty and joy in life, and create stories."
This year, the Art Crawl will also feature an interactive online map.
"People can go on their phone, and then click on all the events they want to and preplan out their crawl," she added. "So they know at what time, and where it will be, and basically they can just follow the map to those locations so that they don't miss anything."
There are plans for an open studio tour so the community can meet local artists and learn more about their work.
The Art Alive Market is already filling up, with vendor spaces booking quickly. Artists and makers are encouraged to secure their spots early. Additional artist calls, exhibitions, installations, and community activations will be announced throughout the spring and summer.
Local businesses, sponsors, and community partners are invited to get involved early to help expand programming and strengthen community engagement ahead of September.
A refreshed website is now live at www.kincardineartcrawl.ca, offering early details and ways to connect.
