Downtown Covington is bracing for another packed weekend of easels, food trucks and live music as the Three Rivers Art Festival returns Nov. 14-15, 2026, filling several blocks of Columbia Street with more than 200 juried artists from across the country. The free festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days in the city's Cultural Arts District, with painting, ceramics, photography, fiber art, woodworking, metalwork, sculpture and jewelry on display and for sale.
The event, first reported by New Orleans CityBusiness, will also include live art demonstrations, music and food vendors, along with children's activities scattered throughout the grounds. Greater New Orleans artists will join the national lineup, and organizers say the festival aims to draw visitors not just to the art tents but into Covington's downtown businesses as well.
A Poster Artist From Arizona and a Showcase for Local Students
This year's festival poster comes courtesy of Arizona artist Jonah Ballard, according to the CityBusiness report. Alongside the juried artist tents, the Student Art Exhibit will showcase work from hundreds of St. Tammany Parish students — a tradition that, per the same account, typically displays more than 400 pieces of student artwork each year. A Children's Village will open at 10 a.m. both days with free art and educational activities for younger festivalgoers.
Music has long been part of the festival's draw, and this year's edition adds a free public concert featuring Nashville-based singer-songwriter Paul Childers, set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Covington Trailhead. It's a format familiar to regular attendees — last year's festival featured a similar Trailhead concert with Tyler Kinchen & The Right Pieces, according to Myneworleans.com.
How the Festival Grew Into a Regional Draw
The festival's footprint has expanded considerably since it began in downtown Covington in 1997, according to the city's Cultural Arts & Events office, which notes it has grown from 49 exhibiting artists to 200. The City of Covington calls it one of the Northshore's largest annual events, and the festival takes place on Columbia Street in the city's Cultural Arts District each fall.
Attendance estimates vary by source. CityBusiness reports the 2026 festival is expected to attract more than 50,000 visitors, while the city's event listing says the festival typically draws more than 60,000 people to downtown Covington each year. Either way, organizers describe it as one of the region's largest juried art events and a key support for Covington's arts community.
Stiff Competition to Land a Spot on Columbia Street
Getting an artist tent at Three Rivers isn't easy. More than 500 artists apply for only 200 spots in the festival, according to Nola.com, which also reported that a festival coordinator said the event placed 45th in the nation out of 2,000 festivals in a recent ranking. Applicants must pay a $35 nonrefundable application fee, and a jury of three prominent arts representatives plus one alternate selects the final exhibitor list, per the festival's listing on entrythingy.com.
The festival is held outdoors along the 200-600 blocks of Columbia Street rain or shine, so organizers plan for the event to go forward regardless of weather. For families and art lovers alike, the free admission and mix of demonstrations, music and food vendors have made it a fixture of the Covington calendar heading into its next chapter this November.
