Marietta Square is about to get a lot more colorful. Chalktoberfest returns to the historic square Saturday and Sunday, bringing 80 artists who will turn the sidewalks into a sprawling outdoor gallery, alongside food trucks, live music and a ticketed beer and wine festival running in parallel.
The free chalk festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, according to Cobb County Courier. The event, hosted by the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, draws chalk artists from around the world who travel to the square to compete and create, per Cobb Travel & Tourism. City workers will close off the streets bordering the square so artists can work directly on the pavement, the Courier reports.
What Visitors Will Find on the Square
Beyond the chalk itself, organizers have packed the weekend with live musical entertainment, vendor booths, popular food trucks, children’s activities and an amateur chalk competition for anyone who wants to try their hand at the medium, according to the same Cobb Travel & Tourism listing. The chalk festival itself remains free and open to the public, as confirmed by East Cobber.
As FOX 5 Atlanta notes, the event has been described as an award-winning celebration that draws chalk artists from around the world, and organizers scheduled 80 artists to create works on Marietta’s sidewalks, per the station.
A Ticketed Beer and Wine Festival Runs Alongside
For adults looking for something beyond the art, Saturday also brings a separate, ticketed Craft Beer Festival from noon to 5 p.m. on the square. The same Courier report notes the beer event requires a ticket even though the chalk festival itself does not.
That companion festival offers more than 120 different beers to try along with more than 20 wines, per Cobb Travel & Tourism. East Cobber adds that all Craft Beer Festival participants receive a collectible 2026 Chalktoberfest souvenir cup as part of admission.
Where the Money Goes
All proceeds from Chalktoberfest, including the beer and wine festival, go to the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, according to the Cobb Travel & Tourism listing — making the weekend both a public art showcase and a fundraiser for the museum that created it. Chalktoberfest has run annually since its creation, per the same source, cementing it as one of the square’s signature fall traditions.
