Fresh Paint Is Back: Downtown Everett Becomes One Big Art Gallery August 15–16
There are exactly two weekends a year when it’s socially acceptable to stand in the middle of Hoyt Avenue. One of them is coming up fast.
Schack Art Center’s Fresh Paint Festival returns to downtown Everett on Saturday, August 15 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and Sunday, August 16 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.), taking the streets around the Schack and turning them into a sprawling outdoor gallery. Admission is free. The people-watching is also free. The art you’re going to accidentally fall in love with? That part might cost you.
What Is Fresh Paint, Exactly?
It’s one of Snohomish County’s largest celebrations of the visual arts — a full weekend of original artwork, live demonstrations, dance, food trucks, and hands-on activities for every age. Over 100 regional artists set up shop in the streets, which means you can browse everything from landscape paintings to glass art to things you didn’t know you needed until you saw them.
But the best part isn’t the browsing. It’s the talking.
“Fresh Paint offers something you can’t experience at every festival,” says Raedle Alburn, Executive Director of Schack Art Center. “Visitors have the opportunity to meet artists, watch them demonstrate their craft, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of the time, skill, and creativity behind every piece of art.”
Translation: the person who made the thing is standing right there, often mid-brushstroke. Ask them about it. Artists love this. It beats the usual festival small talk about parking.
Yes, You Get to Make Stuff Too
Fresh Paint is not a look-with-your-eyes-only situation. The weekend is packed with interactive art experiences — open studios, free art making for all ages, community art projects, face painting, and balloon art. Kids can get elbow-deep in glue sticks while you pretend you’re only there to supervise. (You’re not. Grab a brush.)
And because this is the Schack we’re talking about, the Hot Shop will be firing all weekend with live glassblowing demos. Watching someone shape molten glass on the end of a pipe never gets old. Speaking of glass — keep an eye out for Float Find Bingo, your chance to win a Schack Glass Float of your very own.
The Highlights, Rapid-Fire
Original artwork for sale from 100+ regional artists • Live glassblowing in Schack’s Hot Shop • Float Find Bingo (win a Schack Glass Float!) • Live entertainment from The Dance School and Santana Charro Bros. • Food trucks and local food vendors • Free admission to the Schack galleries • Open Studios and free art making for all ages • Face painting, balloon art, and community art projects
The Details
What: Fresh Paint Festival at Schack Art Center
Where: Streets surrounding Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave, downtown Everett
When: Saturday, August 15, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. & Sunday, August 16, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Cost: Free admission
For schedules and the full artist lineup, head to schack.org or follow Schack on social media.
Come for the art, stay for the food trucks, leave with something original on your wall — and a new appreciation for the people who made it.