Chalktoberfest returns to Marietta Square on October 10 and 11, turning downtown streets into a temporary outdoor gallery built one patch of pavement at a time.

The annual festival brings professional chalk artists from across the United States and around the world to Marietta for a weekend of large-scale street art.

Watching those images take shape is a major part of the attraction because visitors can see the work evolve rather than simply arriving after it is finished.

That live creative process gives Chalktoberfest an energy that a conventional gallery visit cannot duplicate.

The chalk festival itself is free and open to the public, making it one of October’s most accessible major events for families and groups.

Marietta Square becomes the center of the action, with local bands performing in Glover Park and arts, crafts and food vendors adding to the festival atmosphere.

Saturday’s schedule adds the annual Craft Beer Festival, a ticketed component that runs alongside the public art celebration.

The beer festival is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. and features a broad tasting selection for adult attendees.

Sunday shifts some of the spotlight back toward local participation with the annual Community Chalk Competition.

That combination of professional spectacle and community participation is part of what makes the weekend feel distinctly Marietta.

Visitors do not have to be serious art followers to enjoy the festival because the visual scale of chalk work makes the experience immediate and easy to appreciate.

Children can watch artists transform ordinary pavement, photographers can follow pieces as they develop, and adults can pair the art with music, food and the Square’s surrounding businesses.

The result is an event that naturally encourages people to wander rather than rush through a fixed program.

October 10–11 should therefore be treated as a full downtown weekend rather than a single scheduled performance.

People coming from elsewhere in Cobb County or Northwest Atlanta may want to allow extra time for parking and walking as crowds build around the Square.

Arriving earlier can also give visitors a clearer look at artists working before the busiest afternoon period.

One of the pleasures of Chalktoberfest is returning later and seeing how dramatically a piece has changed.

The festival also creates a natural opportunity to visit downtown restaurants, shops and other attractions while the streets are active.

For local businesses, that spillover is part of the value of a signature event that draws people into the heart of the city for hours at a time.

The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art organizes the festival, connecting the weekend’s public spectacle with the city’s year-round arts community.

Families can attend the chalk festival without buying a festival ticket, while adults interested in the Craft Beer Festival should check its separate admission details.

Weather always matters for an event centered on pavement art, so visitors should check current event information before leaving home.

For anyone choosing one big Marietta outing in the first half of October, Chalktoberfest offers art, music, food and downtown atmosphere in one walkable destination.

It is the kind of weekend when Marietta Square itself becomes part of the show.

Hours and participation rules

The official visitor guide lists Saturday hours of 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday hours of 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Pets are excluded from artist work areas and the Craft Beer Festival. The participation page supplies competition information, but timing is inconsistent across organizer pages; competitors should confirm check-in directly rather than infer a deadline from festival hours.

Our HarvestFest guide covers October 17 on the same Square, while our Phantom screening guide covers The Strand October 25. Facts were checked October 3, 2026. Save the organizer links and revisit them for weather, access and ticket updates before travelling.