ClydeFEST 2027 is in the works!
We’re so excited to announce that planning is underway for ClydeFEST. There is a lot to be organized and a lot of funds to be raised to present the region’s favorite FREE kids’ folks arts festival in April 2027.
The Chatham Arts Council has hosted ClydeFEST for 24 years, and after a pause in 2026, we are back to honor the legacy of Clyde Jones, and keep this kids’ folk arts festival vibrant for Chatham County.
Mark your calendars, and tell your friends! We want to bring ClydeFEST back, and we need your help to make it possible! If you’re interested in becoming a ClydeFEST sponsor, contact David O’Dell, Director of Community Giving, to learn about sponsorship opportunities and find the partnership that’s right for your business or organization.
Remember how great it felt to play outside when you were a kid? Running for running’s sake? Hula-hooping, playing games, blowing bubbles, creating new worlds? ClydeFEST, our beloved kids’ folk arts festival, has been bringing that feeling back for families in Chatham for more than 2 decades.
From face painting, bubbles, and hula hoops to arts projects and good old-fashioned carnival games, ClydeFEST has an activity for all ages. Offering a full-day of screen-free fun, the festival is a place for kids to get messy in Critterville, painting their very own Clyde critter cut-out, then visiting all the community booths on the field to create a multitude of masterpieces. And we clean up all the mess!
Mingled in with all the artful booths, old-fashioned handmade carnival games like Penguin Hoops Ring Toss, Fishing Hole, and Critter Putt mini-golf dot the field to challenge little ones.
In addition to all the games and art-making, musicians, dancers, and performers of all kinds entertain crowds throughout the day, even allowing opportunities for festival-goers to join in the fun. And did we mention the food? Food trucks always line the festival with offerings from famous BLTs and tacos to ice cream, boba tea and cake, and everything in between!
A couple of years ago, ClydeFEST found a new home at the Chatham Ag Center, making the festival even more accessible to residents of Chatham and the surrounding communities. Since then, the festival has welcomed more than 2,500 kids of all ages each year.
