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Call for Entries for the 37th Annual Houston Art Car Parade & Festival is NOW OPEN!

The world's oldest and largest celebration of its kind returns April 13, 2024!
Now's your chance to be a part of the excitement and community that has become one of Houston's most beloved institutions. Applications are accepted now through February 15, 2024.

2024 Festival Dates

APRIL 11 - The Main Street Drag
APRIL 11 - Sneak Peek at Discovery Green
APRIL 12 - The Legendary Art Car Ball
APRIL 13 - 37th Annual Houston Art Car Parade
APRIL 14 - Art Car Awards Ceremony

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with more events to be added

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Relive the 2023 Experience!

 

Click below to watch the ABC-13 1-hour special with highlights from this year's parade!

2023 Houston Art Car Program

 

Check out this year's digital commemorative program, with photos of each Art Car!

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Schedule

HISTORY OF THE PARADE

Houston's largest free cultural event and one of its most iconic celebrations started out nearly four decades ago with humble beginnings. Through the passion and commitment of like-minded artists across the country and the leadership of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, the Houston Art Car Parade has become a world-wide phenomenon, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to witness the awe and splendor of mobile art on wheels.

2023 PHOTO GALLERIES

Photos

Volunteer with us!

As one of Houston's largest annual events, it takes a small army of dedicated volunteers to help make the magic happen! Being a volunteer during Houston Art Car Festival & Parade puts you in the middle of the action. There are a variety of ways you can volunteers with us - sign up now for an unforgettable experience!

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Heights House Hotel, the official Hotel Partner of the Houston Art Car Festival & Parade, is the perfect spot to rest & relax before and after all fun. Located in Houston's hip, bustling Heights neighborhood, it's steps from some of the cities best restaurants and bars, and a quick five-minute drive to the parade route downtown. 

WHAT IS AN ART CAR?

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Art Car /ärt kär/

noun

A vehicle whose owner has modified its appearance in a way to suit their own aesthetic, personality, or creative inspiration.

Since the invention of the automobile, art cars have been found in cultures across the globe as a way to express individuality, rebel against cultural norms, and stand out from the mundane. People of all walks of life have created art cars, from the most celebrated of contemporary artists, to your weird neighbor with the chickens, and everyone in between. Most art cars have started out as something you may see in a car dealership parking lot - four normal wheels, a socially-acceptable color, and a major auto company's chrome-plated branding. It's through the eyes, brain, and sweat of an Art Car Artist that the Art Car is born. Whether it's been painted, welded, sculpted, dropped, chopped, beaded, smashed, crashed, lit, or lifted - Art Cars come in all shapes, sizes and forms! The only rule is that it must roll!

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