Houston Art Car Parade
401 W. Dallas
Houston ,TX 77002
One of Houston's most beloved annual events started as small gatherings of like-minded artists and individuals in the early 1980s - from the creation of Jackie Harris' "Fruitmobile" and the Ann Harithas curated exhibition "Collision" at Lawndale Art Center in 1984, to Rachel Hecker and Trish Herrera's New Music Parade and the Orange Show's "Road Show" in 1986 - all of which featured automobiles that had been transformed by artists into works of art. Then in 1988, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art produced "Roadside Attractions: The Art Car Parade" with 40 art cars seen by 2,000 people.
Today, The Houston Art Car Parade is the largest celebration of its kind in the world, featuring over 250 entries and attracting 200,000-300,000 spectators as the mobile masterpieces created by artists, students, youth groups, families, organizations and anyone with a passion for creativity roll through downtown Houston every April. The Houston Art Car Parade represents the idea that there is an artist inside all of us, and in doing so offers the opportunity to showcase that inherent creativity on a large scale.
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Activities, events and amentities are located along the parade route starting at 11am from Waugh & Allen Parkway and going into downtown Houston along Smith Street from Dallas to Walker. It's a perfect opportunity to get up close to the Art Cars before the roll in the parade!
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The parade is FREE and open to the public.
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Find a spot along the route to watch the parade, or purchase Reserved Grandstand Seats or a ticket to the ultimate viewing party, the VIPit Experience.
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Make sure to stop by the HEB Kids Creative Zone in Sam Houston Park for family activities, performances, and more - opens at 11AM.​
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Free and paid parking is located along the parade route. For downtown Houston parking locations CLICK HERE. Please be aware that many streets in the vicinity of the parade will closed starting at 7AM. Downtown streets will be closed at 1pm.
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Visit our FAQ Page for answers to all sorts of questions!
