Columbia Festival of the Arts

Columbia Festival of the Arts Your Summer Starts Here! The Columbia Festival of the Arts is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit.

Founded in 1987, the Festival’s popularity and growth has transformed it into one of the Baltimore/Washington Corridor’s premiere summer arts events. Each summer the Festival presents a brand new season of world-class events, including gala performances, exhibitions, free concerts, family activities, master classes, workshops and community dialogues. The Festival brings together the arts community

, businesses, local schools, and individuals to create an annual event that shines a spotlight, not only on the arts, but on the Howard County community as a Maryland showplace. The Festival is dependent upon a variety of funding sources, including grants, corporate sponsorships and individual donations. The funds are used to subsidize Festival programming costs in order to make the arts accessible for people across a broad spectrum of social, cultural and economic strata. The Festival’s focus is on reaching out and embracing the vast and diverse community that exists in the region. Now in its 36th year, the Festival continues to thrive thanks to our ecosystem of artists, stagehands, volunteers, community partners, donors, and sponsors who are committed to its success.

It's Saturday at the Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend, and we've got a full day of music, art, food...
06/13/2026

It's Saturday at the Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend, and we've got a full day of music, art, food, and fun ahead! 🎨🎵 Starting at 12pm until 10pm, enjoy performances on the LakeStage from Wilde Lake High School Modern Music Collective, Rakish, DOGO du Togo, Chris Pierce, Tartan Terrors, and The Garifuna Collective.✨ And don't forget - eVenti Verticali’s aerial show will be soaring in the sky with two performances at 12:55pm and 9:20pm! The festival opens at 11am, so arrive early to explore 50+ artisan vendors, participate in hands-on art activities, vote in the Umbrellas Abound contest, and enjoy a wide variety of food and drink options. For all festival details like parking, hours, and performance times, visit columbiafestival.org.

Tonight's the night! Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend has kicked off with an incredible evening of ...
06/12/2026

Tonight's the night! Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend has kicked off with an incredible evening of live music on the LakeStage. From now until 10pm, join us for performances by Everyday Everybody and Nik West. Plus at 9:20pm, look up - eVenti Verticali’s performance takes over the sky with an aerial show you won't want to miss. Plan to grab dinner from a food truck and shop unique gifts and fine art from over 50 talented artisans. It's all part of the LakeFest Free Weekend! Check out the full schedule at columbiafestival.org.

LakeStage schedule change! Unfortunately, due to multiple flight cancelations, Ariel Posen won’t be able to join us for ...
06/12/2026

LakeStage schedule change! Unfortunately, due to multiple flight cancelations, Ariel Posen won’t be able to join us for LakeFest tonight but we’ve got Everyday Everybody scheduled for 6pm. We hope to see you there!

Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend kicks off TODAY at 5pm! 🎉 Join us at the Lakefront as we start sum...
06/12/2026

Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend kicks off TODAY at 5pm! 🎉 Join us at the Lakefront as we start summer off right with a weekend full of live music, food, and fun - rain or shine. Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs so you can relax and enjoy an evening of incredible performances on the LakeStage. Parking reminder: free parking is available at the Wincopin Circle parking garage and the Sterrett Place lot (5575 Sterrett Place) - do NOT park at Whole Foods Market. We can't wait to get started! For the full festival lineup, visit columbiafestival.org.

06/11/2026

We're excited for Umbrellas Abound at Lakefest. It's the final year of this particular project, so don't miss it! Come vote for your favorite. And don't worry - a whole new type of art display is coming in 2027. We can't thank Columbia Association enough for hosting this annual event that allows so many individuals to express themselves artistically!

🎉 It all starts TOMORROW! Are you ready for Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend? Use this festival map...
06/11/2026

🎉 It all starts TOMORROW! Are you ready for Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend? Use this festival map to help plan your visit, downloadable at columbiafestival.org/lakefest-map. Free parking is available at the Wincopin Circle garages (including accessible parking), as well as the Sterrett Place lot at 5575 Sterrett Place (please don't park at Whole Foods). Art, music, food, and much more await. See you soon!

☂️ At Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend, June 12th-14th, take a stroll along Lake Kittamaqundi and e...
06/10/2026

☂️ At Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend, June 12th-14th, take a stroll along Lake Kittamaqundi and enjoy a vibrant display of 60 decorated umbrellas near the boat dock. Hosted by the Columbia Association Art Center, this display features creations designed by community members and groups, inspired by this year’s theme. This will be the final Umbrellas Abound display, but there will be a new themed art project in 2027. Learn about everything happening at LakeFest at columbiafestival.org.

Huge news today! Merriweather Arts and Culture Center is holding their first ever ticket raffle for the Power to the Peo...
06/10/2026

Huge news today! Merriweather Arts and Culture Center is holding their first ever ticket raffle for the Power to the People Concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion! You can win two tickets to this celebration of peace, love, justice, music and community action curated by Tom Morello. Just purchase a $5 ticket at one of our events this summer for your chance to win! Sales are in person only, no cash accepted. See you at the merch tent!

🎨 We're counting down the days to the Invitational Fine Arts & Crafts Show at Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeF...
06/09/2026

🎨 We're counting down the days to the Invitational Fine Arts & Crafts Show at Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend! From June 12th-14th, the Downtown Columbia Lakefront will feature 50 artisans showcasing original pieces, from functional designs to wearable pieces and one-of-a-kind artwork. Preview their work online, then come shop in person! Browse the artist gallery at columbiafestival.org/invitational-fine-arts-crafts-show

🍕 We recommend arriving to Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend hungry. Whatever you're in the mood for...
06/08/2026

🍕 We recommend arriving to Columbia Festival of the Arts - Free LakeFest Weekend hungry. Whatever you're in the mood for - tacos, pit beef, falafel, kettle corn, gelato, matcha - we'll have it. Bring your friends (and your appetite!) and come join us June 12th-14th. Visit our website for the full festival schedule at columbiafestival.org.

Address

Office: 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD
21044

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14107153044

Website

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