Saturday and Sunday, February 1 - 2, 2025
Opening Night Friday, January 31, 2025

Saturday and Sunday,
February 1-2, 2025
Opening Night Friday,
January 31, 2025

Artist Set-Up Information

February 3-4, 2024 with Opening Night Friday February 2

Welcome to ArtFest Fort Myers – We Are Glad You Are Coming.

Artists are required to set up Friday, February 2, 2024.

Set up begins on Friday, February 2, during a scheduled setup time shown in the chart below.  Setup times have been staggered to create the best traffic flow and artist access. If you are late arriving, you will have to park off site and dolly to your booth. There is no parking directly at the site outside of your 2 hour setup time window, and your vehicle must be moved in time to allow the next batch of artists to come in. We recommend you prioritize fully unloading before setting up. Once your vehicle has moved, you can walk back to the site to finish setting up if needed. It is crucial that everyone follows the setup times and process.

If you arrive in town on Friday, February 2nd, before your setup time – please do not attempt to drive on to the festival site. Setup is only during the allocated times. The festival site is split into 2 waiting zones for staging. The 100s, 200s, and 300s blocks will report to the parking lot at the corner of Bay Street and Heitman Street (Under the 41 Bridge/Overpass). The 400s, 500s, 600s, and 700s will report to the large grass parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave and Jackson St. (2337 Lafayette St., right across from the City of Palms Stadium). The driveway is on Lafayette St. – look for the yellow and red entrance flag.

To facilitate the flow we will stage you in a waiting zone. Please look for an entrance flag at each of the parking lots. Volunteers are at the waiting zones ready to help all of the artists get lined up. Please have your booth number ready. 

We ask all artists to trust the process. Please arrive at your scheduled time to ensure you will be driving right up to your booth location. All artists will be staged in booth number order. Late arrivals will have to dolly into their location from Bay or Lee street. 

Please check the chart below. The staging times and locations are based upon your booth number. 

Each Artist in the 100s, 200s, & 300s blocks will enter the festival site on Heitman Street and exit on Monroe Street. Please remember there is one way traffic. Volunteers will be on site to guide you.

Booth Numbers # 303, 306D, 307, 311, 315, 319, 325, 329, 333, 337D
Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at Waiting Zone by 7:30am
  • Load in at 8:00am
  • Move Vehicle by 10:00am

Waiting Zone: Parking Lot at corner of Bay Street & Heitman Street (Under the US 41 Bridge/Overpass)

Booth Numbers # 102D, 103, 106D, 107, 111, 115D, 119, 123, 201D, 202D, 205, 206, 209, 210, 213, 214, 217, 218, 221, 222, 225D, 226D
Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at Waiting Zone by 7:30am
  • Load in at 8:15am
  • Move Vehicle by 10:00am

Waiting Zone: Parking Lot at corner of Bay Street & Heitman Street (Under the US 41 Bridge/Overpass)

Booth Numbers # 301D, 302D, 305, 309, 313, 317, 321D, 327, 331, 335
Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at Waiting Zone by 9:45am
  • Load in at 10:00am
  • Move vehicle by 12:00pm

Waiting Zone: Parking Lot at corner of Bay Street & Heitman Street (Under the US 41 Bridge/Overpass)

Booth Numbers # 101, 104D, 105, 109, 113, 117, 121, 125, 203, 204, 207, 208D, 211, 212, 215, 216, 219, 220, 223, 224, 229D, 230
Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at Waiting Zone by 9:45am
  • Load in at 10:15am
  • Move vehicle by 12:00pm

Waiting Zone: Parking Lot at corner of Bay Street & Heitman Street (Under the US 41 Bridge/Overpass)

The Artists in 400s block will enter the Festival Site on Hendry Street, turn left, and exit on Monroe Street. 

The Artists in 500s will enter the Festival Site on Hendry Street and exit by going North towards the Oxbow Restaurant on Hendry, and turn around in front of Oxbow to go back down Hendry from the direction they came, on the two-way traffic side (left side of the street). 

The Artists in the 600’s will enter the Festival Site on Hendry Street on the two-way traffic side (left side of the street) and exit east on Lee Street. 

The artists in the 700s will enter the festival site on Hendry Street, turn right onto Edwards, go one block East, and turn on to Jackson Street. They will exit out Jackson Street. 

Please remember there is one way traffic. Volunteers will be on site to guide you.

Booth Numbers # 401, 402D, 405D, 408, 409D, 413D, 414, 417D, 419, 420, 423, 424, 427D, 428, 431, 432, 435D, 441, 438, 442D, 446, 450, 454D, 458D
Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at the Waiting Zone by 7:30am
  • Meet at the Blue Flag
  • Load in at 8:00am
  • Move Vehicle by 10:00am

Waiting Zone: Parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave. and Jackson St. (2370 Lafayette St). Look for the yellow & red Entrance Flags

Booth Numbers # 503, 507, 511, 515, 519, 523, 527, 531, 535, 539, 543D, 701, 702, 705, 706, 709, 710, 713, 714, 717, 718, 721, 725
Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at the Waiting Zone by 8:15am
  • Meet at the Yellow Flag
  • Load in at 8:45am 
  • Move vehicle by 10:45am

Waiting Zone: Parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave. and Jackson St. (2370 Lafayette St). Look for the yellow & red Entrance Flags.

Booth Numbers # 601D, 602D, 605, 608, 609, 612, 613, 616, 617, 620, 621, 624, 625, 628D, 629, 633, 634, 637, 638, 641, 642, 645, 646, 649, 650, 653, 654, 657, 658, 661, 662, 666, 670, 674 

Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at the Waiting Zone by 9:00am
  • Meet at the Purple Flag
  • Load in at 9:30am
  • Move vehicle by 11:30am

Waiting Zone: Parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave. and Jackson St. (2370 Lafayette St). Look for the yellow & red Entrance Flags

Booth Numbers # 403D, 406, 407D, 410D, 411D, 415, 416D, 421, 422, 425, 426, 429, 430, 433D, 434D, 439, 440, 444, 448D, 452, 456

Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at the Waiting Zone at 9:45am 
  • Meet at the Blue Flag
  • Load in at 10:15am
  • Move vehicle by 12:15pm

Waiting Zone: Parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave. and Jackson St. (2370 Lafayette St). Look for the yellow & red Entrance Flags

Booth Numbers # 501, 505, 509, 513, 517, 521, 525, 529, 533, 537, 541D, 703, 704, 707, 708D, 711, 712, 715, 716, 719, 720D, 723

Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at the Waiting Zone at 11:00am
  • Meet at the Yellow Flag
  • Load in at 11:30am
  • Move vehicle by 1:30pm

Waiting Zone: Parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave. and Jackson St. (2370 Lafayette St). Look for the yellow & red Entrance Flags

Booth Numbers # 603, 606, 607, 610, 611, 614, 615, 618, 619, 622, 623, 626, 627, 631, 632, 635, 636, 639,  640, 643, 644, 647, 648, 651, 652, 655, 656, 659, 660, 664, 668, 672

Set-Up Times:

  • Arrive at the Waiting Zone at 11:45am
  • Meet at the Purple Flag
  • Load in at 12:15pm
  • Move vehicle by 2:15pm

Waiting Zone: Parking lot at the corner of Edison Ave. and Jackson St. (2370 Lafayette St). Look for the yellow & red Entrance Flags

EARLY ARRIVALS

If you arrive in town on Friday, February 2, before your set up time please do not attempt to drive on to the festival site. Artists can park and wait for their set up time at the staging lot at 2370 Lafayette St.

ARTIST CHECK-IN

Artist Check-In is open from 8:00am – 2:00pm and is located in the Caloosa Sound Convention Center inside the entrance on Edwards Drive (2150 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers FL 33901). Look for the big red check-in flags. Do not forget your Photo ID as it is required for artists and collaborators to check in. Check-in has your welcome envelope, containing your parking pass, booth card, name tags, and other info. Artists may check in before, during or after their setup time.

SAFE TENT SET-UP

Winter can be a windy time in Florida and this is particularly true for locations near the river. We require all artists to be prepared for all weather conditions – wind and rain. This will be monitored during setup and over festival weekend.

DIRECTIONS TO THE EVENT (NOT THE STAGING LOTS)

From I-75 SOUTH – Exit 138, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (SR 82): Exit and head West into downtown Fort Myers (about 4 miles) 

From I-75 NORTH – Exit 141 – Palm Beach Blvd westbound. Travel Palm Beach Blvd, about 4 miles, to downtown Fort Myers. At the Seaboard Rd intersection, Palm Beach Blvd becomes First Street. Continue west into downtown Fort Myers

From US – 41 (Tamiami Trail) SOUTH BOUND into Downtown Fort Myers: Once you cross over the Caloosahatchee River take the first off ramp into Downtown. The ramp exits onto West First Street.  Continue east into downtown Fort Myers

From US – 41 (Tamiami Trail) NORTH BOUND into Downtown Fort Myers: Just before you cross over the Caloosahatchee River, take the last exit (right) to historic downtown. Go STRAIGHT (Do not turn onto Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) to Monroe St. Turn left at Monroe St. and the next block is First Street, downtown Fort Myers.

RESTOCKING YOUR WORK ON SATURDAY EVENING

All access roads into the festival site will be barricaded and have security guards. You may restock at any time Saturday evening/night, but you will need to show your artist credentials to gain access. No vehicles will be allowed on site once the festival opens on Friday night, so all artists must dolly in to restock. We do not allow restocking Sunday morning as Bay Street will be closed in the early hours for the Publix Run To The Arts 5k. 

OVERNIGHT SECURITY

Overnight security will be provided on Friday and Saturday nights by a combination of private security and Fort Myers Police, beginning at 5 p.m.

RV OVERNIGHT PARKING

Off-street parking for artists’ full-size RVs is in the Artist Parking lot on Monroe St. between Widman Way and Victoria Avenue, at 2050 Broadway. Look for the red Artist Parking sign. Please do not park in the adjacent parking lot with green parking signs as that lot is only for festival volunteers. Check-in will have additional information.

DAY PARKING ON FRIDAY

The Artist Parking lot is in the same lot as the overnight RVs.It is located on Monroe St. between Widman Way and Victoria Avenue, at 2050 Broadway, but the lot does not open until 5:00pm on Friday because it is an overflow lot for jury duty parking. Look for the red Artist Parking sign. If you do not finish setting up in your allotted time and need to go park your car somewhere before 5:00pm to continue setting up, you can find paid parking on a street nearby (there are pay stations throughout downtown), pay to park in a parking lot if your vehicle will fit, or you can park for free in the First Presbyterian Church lot at 2438 Second St. This lot will be available from 7:00am - 10:00pm so this is the best option for artists participating in Friday night, since you will not be able to move to the jury lot before you open at 5:00pm, and can leave your car there until the Friday night opening is finished.

DAY PARKING ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Artists commuting to the festival each day will have reserved parking in the Artist Parking lot, which is again located on Monroe St. between Widman Way and Victoria Avenue at 2050 Broadway. Look for the red Artist Parking sign. Please do not park in the adjacent parking lot with green parking signs as that lot is only for festival volunteers. Your check-in packet will have more information.

Information to come on the trolley times and locations. 

We ask all artists to park in the assigned parking lot over the weekend. Please do not park along the access streets, VIP Lot or other festival parking lots including the volunteer lot. Make sure to display your parking pass on your rear-view mirror.

FLORIDA SALES TAX

Each artist is responsible for collecting and remitting their own Florida Sales Tax (6.5%).  The sales tax in Lee County increased in 2019 to 6.5%. ArtFest Fort Myers is required to provide artists/ names and addresses to the Florida Department of Revenue.

ARTIST CORNER & HOSPITALITY

All artist services are located in the Caloosa Sound Convention Center inside the entrance on Edwards Drive (2150 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers FL 33901). Look for the big red check-in flags.

Saturday and Sunday: Artist Corner - 7:30am-5:30pm, Breakfast 7:30am-8:30am

 

SAVE THE DATE FOR 2025!

Saturday and Sunday, February 1-2, 2025

Opening Night Friday, January 31

On the waterfront in historic downtown Fort Myers

Phone: 239-768-3602

Email: info@artfestfortmyers.com

Love ArtFest Fort Myers? Don't miss the Babcock Ranch Art Show!

Boutique Show • 60 Fine Artists
Great Food & Beverages
Youth Art Activities

March 9 & 10, 2024
10am to 4pm
Babcock Ranch

We're delighted to have helped Babcock Ranch launch this show with artists of the quality you enjoy every year at ArtFest Fort Myers.

LEARN MORE