APRIL 9 - 12, 2026

In 2026, this extraordinary folk-art celebration takes over Houston from April 9 to 12, with the main parade on April 11 (free access). Start your Art Car experience on April 9 in Discovery Green at Art Car Parade Sneak Peek event. Follow the next day at the Legendary Art Car Ball in Downtown. On April 11, enjoy the full force of creativity at the main parade in Downtown and get inspired! The parade officially begins at the intersection of Dallas and Bagby Streets (on Allen Parkway), then heads into Downtown, circles City Hall, and continues outbound on Allen Parkway until dispersing at Waugh Drive. Don't miss the Art Car Parade awards ceremony on Sunday, April 12. Winning entrants will receive over $16,000 in prize money.  Check out the 2026 program of events here.

The Art Car Parade was born in April 1988 with a 40-car parade seen by an estimated 2,000. By the following year, the parade size doubled and the crowd swelled to tens of thousands.

Another important milestone came in 1989, when Harrod Blank came from California with his art car, "Oh My God." On a quest to document America's art cars, which eventually led to his two books and two films on art cars, Harrod told artists all over the nation about the Houston Art Car Parade, and soon, we began to see caravans of art cars travel thousands of miles to be in the parade.

Did you know that now you can explore the evolution of the Art Car Parade in images? Yes, it is possible! The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art has spent hundreds of hours compiling these images into an online archive free for anyone to view and enjoy. And if you have an image you want to share with the public, you can do it. View the catalog here.
 

Nowadays, the Houston Art Car Parade is the highlight of a four-day celebration of the drive to create.

•    The parade attracts 250+ vehicles and other entries from 23 states, along with Canada and Mexico
•    A live audience of some 315,000+ spectators
•    Parade entries include anything on wheels, from bicycles and unicycles to lawnmowers to cars and go-carts
•    Entries are as likely to be made by members of the general public as by recognized artists

Community groups, public and private schools, and professional organizations have become regular participants. Inspired by what they see, spectators create art cars of their own and often become future participants. As the parade grows, attracting more participants, the complexity and quality of the entries increase.

Over $16,000 is awarded annually to Art Cars in various categories, showcasing the best in creativity, execution, performance, and artistic achievement.

Founded in 1980, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art focuses on making essential elements of art accessible to the public. This non-profit has become Houston's hub of folk art activity. In addition to the Orange Show Monument, The Beer Can House, and the Houston Art Car Parade, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, with the help of over 300 artists from around the world, has developed Smither Park, Houston's first folk-art-inspired green space, located on the same block as the Orange Show Monument.

Smither Park exemplifies the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art's mission by utilizing local artists and individuals in the community to create a lasting, sustainable creative space that will inspire people from across Houston and beyond and help them gain a greater understanding of visionary art.

Photos by Morrris Malakoff and Dantiza Ladwig, courtesy of Art Car Parade and the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.