Lake Chelan Arts Festival brings creativity to Riverwalk Park, downtown

Riverwalk Park was filled with locals and tourists alike, as the decades-old Lake Chelan Arts Festival took place during the last weekend in June.

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Interactive booths dotted the park, like this one with a Charm Bar, where shoppers were invited to create their own artistic pieces of jewelry.

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With street fair-type food at multiple vendors near the main stage, picnic tables provided a place to relax and listen to music with some lunch.

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Chelan native Laura Belanger, a multi-talented instrumentalist and singer, performs regularly in this region and was a lively addition to this year’s Arts Festival.

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With perfect festival weather, Riverwalk Park and its Pavilion drew visitors from around the region to enjoy arts, crafts, food and fun throughout the final weekend of June.

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Many artisans had multiple types of crafts on display, including bags, paintings, clothing and more.

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Throughout Riverwalk Park, kids played games and did activities, like these kids playing a game of Giant Jenga with a handmade set.

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A local artist uses two brushes and his fingers to blend the pastels of what looks like it may turn out to be a sunrise.

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Fall Line Woodworking uses recycled wood and other materials to create unique and functional housewares and accessories.

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Inspired by the art all around them, some kids took to creating their own custom pieces right on the sidewalks of Riverwalk Park in chalk.

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With sponsors including both the Lake Chelan and Manson Chambers of Commerce, the Arts Festival was a huge success.

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Artists from across the region brought their diverse talents and styles to Lake Chelan for the Arts Festival during the last weekend in June.

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Ceramics and pottery have been making a big comeback in the arts world, and there was no shortage at the 2026 Lake Chelan Arts Festival.

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Showing up at nearly every festival, food fair, parade or event in the entire Greater Wenatchee Valley, Sophia Kitchen filled bellies with dumplings and other Asian delicacies.

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Posted Sunday, June 28, 2026 6:46 pm

By ANDREW SIMPSON
Ward Media Staff Reporter

CHELAN — Artists, musicians and families filled Riverwalk Park throughout the weekend as the annual Lake Chelan Arts Festival returned with its familiar mix of handcrafted artwork, live entertainment and hands-on activities, plus an added Friday "bonus day" that extended the annual celebration into a three-day event.

Produced by the Lake Chelan Arts Council, the festival featured dozens of juried artists and makers offering everything from paintings and pottery to handcrafted jewelry, woodworking, textiles and mixed-media creations. Visitors wandered the shaded paths of Riverwalk Park, stopping to browse booths, meet artists and watch new works take shape throughout the weekend.

Some artists worked on new pieces as festivalgoers looked on, giving visitors a chance to see the creative process firsthand rather than only the finished product. Other booths encouraged guests to become artists themselves. A Charm Bar invited visitors to assemble custom jewelry, children covered stretches of sidewalk with colorful chalk drawings, and interactive activities throughout the park emphasized creativity as much as craftsmanship.

The festival's reach extended well beyond Riverwalk Park. Visitors spilled into downtown Chelan between trips to the festival, filling sidewalks, browsing local shops and galleries, dining at area restaurants and stopping for coffee or ice cream, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the city's downtown core.

Live music provided a backdrop for the festival, with multi-day scheduled performances by regional musicians Laura Belanger, Mike Bills and Darnell Scott. New this year, local talent performances highlighted musicians and performers from the Lake Chelan Valley alongside the featured entertainment.

Food vendors, including Sophia Kitchen, offered festival fare while families gathered at picnic tables beneath the park's mature trees overlooking the Chelan River. Children played lawn games, visitors lingered over lunch between artist booths, and many made multiple trips through the festival to revisit favorite exhibitors.

Founded in 1985, the Lake Chelan Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the arts throughout the Lake Chelan Valley. In addition to organizing the annual arts festival, the council sponsors exhibits, educational opportunities and other programs designed to connect artists with the community.

The festival was presented with support from community sponsors including the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, Manson Chamber of Commerce, KOZI Community Radio, Wheatland Bank, Tsillan Cellars and the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, along with numerous local partners and volunteers.

Free to attend, the annual festival once again transformed Riverwalk Park — and much of downtown Chelan — into a celebration of local creativity at the start of the summer tourism season.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media