Covington Three Rivers Art Festival 2026

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The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival invites you to apply to our 30th annual juried festival. Attracting 50,000+ visitors last year, the award-winning festival is dedicated to bringing the best of fine arts and fine crafts to historic downtown Covington, Louisiana, and providing the best in Southern Hospitality for our artists. 

www.covingtonthreeriversartfestival.com

 

 

 

 

Nov 13: Registration from 2-5 p.m., Setup begins at 2:00 p.m.

 

Nov 14: Setup continues 6-8 a.m. on Saturday. Judging begins promptly at 9 a.m. Saturday (one hour before the festival opens)

 

Nov 14th & 15th: Festival opens 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Sunday

 

Application Instructions

 

Applications will only be accepted and processed online through ZAPPlication. If you do not already have an account with ZAPP, you must create one in order to apply. Accounts are free for the artist and allow an easy application process for multiple juried shows and festivals.

 

As part of your application, you will be required to submit four-color images of your current work and one image representative of your booth.

 

Images of artwork and booth images submitted with the application cannot contain the name, business name, or likeness of the Artist or Collaborating Artist in the image or in the title of the image.

 

Fees

 

Application Fee:

 

A $35 nonrefundable application fee must be paid through ZAPPlication with a credit card or PayPal.

 

Booth Fees:

 

$350 for a single booth

 

$600 for a corner or break-in-row booth (two open sides of a display)

 

$760 for a double booth

 

$860 double booth with corner or break-in-row

 

Double, corner, or break-in-row booths will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

We do NOT guarantee a corner or break in the row; even if you pay, we'll reimburse you.

Payment

 

Booth Fee: Zapp will accept payment, or artists may make their booth check payable to "Covington Three Rivers Art Festival" and mail it before the due date directly to the festival at the following address:

 

710 S. Massachusetts Street, Covington, LA 70434.

 

Artists [and Collaborating Artists] must complete and sign a release form and return it to CTRAF

 

Jury & Selection Process

 

A new jury is impaneled each year, consisting of three prominent representatives in the arts community and one serving as an alternate. Artists are identified by number, and entries are reviewed by category. The panel selects exhibitors who best reflect creativity, quality, and originality. Selection is based solely on the submitted images representing the artist’s current work, not on any other qualifications. Therefore, high-quality, professionally photographed images are recommended. The jurors also serve as award judges.

 

All work exhibited in the festival must be of the quality and type of work originally accepted by the jury. It must be displayed in the booth space with at least the same quality level as represented in the image accompanying the Artist’s application. The Festival reserves the right to prevent an artist from displaying work that is not representative of the quality and/or type of work originally accepted and reserves the right to require an Artist to display his/her work with at least the same level of quality as represented in the application. The Festival also reserves the right to remove from the Festival any Artist and Collaborating Artist who is not in compliance with the Rules.

 

The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival will select artists from point totals. The festival may limit the number of artists accepted in some categories in order to present a balanced show. However, accepted artists will be those with the highest scores in their respective media. The Festival Committee reserves the right to assign five positions at its discretion.

 

A waitlist is selected from the jury scores in each category and shows positions offered as they become available, up to and including the day of the festival.

 

Jury Exemption

 

2025 cash award winners are automatically “juried in” to the 2026 festival in their awarded categories. However, they must comply with all requirements, including a completed application submitted by the announced deadline, entry, booth, and license fees, images representative of current work, a signed release form, and an artist statement. Any artist wishing to change categories or enter the second category must submit a separate application and images and follow all application instructions.

 

Registration and Set-Up

 

Festival Headquarters is at the Covington Trailhead, located at 419 North New Hampshire Street  (985) 789-7183.

 

Registration hours are Friday, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM, and Saturday, from 6:00 - 8:00 AM.

 

A photo ID must be presented at registration by Artists and Collaborating Artists.

 

Each exhibiting Artist and Collaborating Artist must Register at the Registration Desk in the Festival Headquarters before beginning set-up.

 

Booth set-up starts on Friday at 2:00 PM – and continues on Saturday from 6:00 - 8:00 AM.

 

No set-up is allowed before 2:00 PM on Friday, and set-up must be completed by 8:00 AM on Saturday.

 

Your Registration Packet contains a vehicle parking pass, which will allow you to drive on Columbia Street for set-up and dismantling. This parking pass is also your access to long-term parking in parking lots designated for Artists.

 

All vehicles must be out of the exhibit area at 8:00 AM Saturday.

 

Festival Information

 

The festival is located outdoors, along Columbia Street from the 200 - 600 blocks. The festival will be held rain or shine. There will be no rain/contingency plan.

 

Covington Three Rivers Art Festival hours are 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday and 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Sunday.

 

Exhibits must be staffed and ready by 9:00 AM on Saturday and by 10:00 AM on Sunday.

 

No more than two artists may collaborate on work. Both names must be on the application, and both Artists must attend both days of the Festival.

 

All Artists [and Collaborating Artists] must exhibit for the full two days of the Festival. Artists are required to staff their exhibits during Festival hours. Employees, workers, or others may assist but are not allowed to attend in place of Artists.

 

Artists [and Collaborating Artists] bear the responsibility for all set-up and security needs for their exhibit. The Festival is not responsible for loss, damage, or injury of any kind and does not provide assistance with set-up.

 

Artists [and Collaborating Artists] are required to sign a Festival Release Statement. Artists will not be allowed to set up an exhibit in the Festival until Festival Headquarters has received the Artist's signed Release Statement.

 

No pets are allowed before, during, or after the Festival per the Covington Police Department. 

 

The Festival reserves the right, at any time, to adopt, orally or in writing, any additional rule(s) that the Festival deems necessary for the good and welfare of the Festival. Such additional rule(s) shall have the same force and authority as though fully incorporated in the Festival's Rules.

 

Artists, including Collaborating Artists, must comply with all Festival Rules and city, state, and federal laws. Failure to comply may result in the Festival prohibiting an Artist/Collaborating Artist from setting up a booth or removing an Artist/Collaborating Artist from the Festival with no refund to the Artist/Collaborating Artist, and will jeopardize participation in future festivals. Actions taken by the Festival in response to an Artist’s failure to comply are within the complete discretion of the Festival.

 

Booth Space

 

Booth space is 10’x10’. Booth space cannot be shared, but one artist can purchase more than one booth.

 

Artists must provide their own display booths, tents (white tents only), weights to anchor tents, racks, tables, and chairs. Artists are responsible for the assembly and disassembly of all items. Artists should prepare for the possibility of inclement weather conditions such as strong winds and/or rain.

 

Electricity is not available. Generators are not allowed on the festival site or in the parking areas.

 

No nails or stakes are allowed to be placed on the street.

 

Exhibitors must confine themselves to their 10'x10' booth space. Walkways between and/or beside booths remain clear and open for public passage and safety and security reasons. All art, equipment, chairs, etc., are to be contained within the 10’x10’ booth space. No music shall be played inside your booth.

 

Any demonstrations must be pre-approved by the Festival & must be conducted within the Artists’ booth space.

 

Booth ID signs must be hung on the upper left side of each Artist’s tent or display.

 

Artists are not allowed to change or swap booths but must occupy the booth and location designated by the Festival. As a condition of acceptance into the Festival, each Artist agrees and warrants that he/she shall not sublease, share, assign, or transfer all or any portion of the assigned exhibit space.

 

Display

 

Only Artists accompanying their original, handcrafted work may participate in the Festival.

 

Artists may only display work in the categories in which they are accepted.

 

Artists must display a body of work sufficient to fill a 10'x10' booth. 60% of the work displayed must be for sale at the Festival.

 

All work exhibited must be of the quality and type of work originally accepted by the jury. It must be displayed in the booth space with at least the same quality level as represented in the image accompanying the Artist’s application. The Festival reserves the right to prevent an artist from displaying work that is not representative of the quality and/or type of work originally accepted and reserves the right to require an Artist to display his/her work with at least the same level of quality as represented in the application. The Festival also reserves the right to remove from the Festival any Artist who is not in compliance with the Rules.

 

Any commercially produced element of an Artist’s work must play a subordinate role.

 

Work done by a production studio, apprentices, or employees is not acceptable. Commercial agents, dealers, or manufacturers are not eligible to enter, and they are NOT allowed to attend in place of Artists/Collaborating Artists.

 

Art created through the use of commercial molds, patterns, or kits is not acceptable.

 

No display of previous awards will be allowed.

 

Reproduction Policy

 

At least 60% of the work displayed in the booth must be original artwork. Reproductions, if any, including limited editions, must be limited to less than 40% of the work displayed in the booth.

 

Any artwork produced by any mechanical means, i.e., giclees, photo-offset, or any other reproduction technique, must be labeled a “reproduction” and placed in no more than two browse bins. Framed reproductions may be hung on only one wall of the booth, and they must be labeled as reproductions.

 

Signed limited editions of 750 or less are allowed for sale. Artists must define “limited edition” in their Artist Statement and disclose their process to the buyer.

 

Violators of the spirit and the letter of the policy will be required to remove reproductions.

 

Judging

 

Judging will begin promptly at 9:00 AM on Saturday (One hour before the Festival opens) and will continue throughout the day.

 

Judges reserve the right to travel the show and evaluate the exhibits in the manner they choose. A “spotter” is assigned to follow and assist the judges.

 

In fairness to all exhibitors, judging will be based solely on items for sale during the Festival.

 

Winners will be presented with award ribbons to be displayed in their booth during the Festival at the artist's awards dinner Saturday night at the Covington Trailhead. 

 

Awards

 

$1000 - Best of Show (Free entry into next year's festival)

 

$500 - Three Rivers Award 

 

$500 -City of Covington Award 

 

$500 - Founders Award

 

$500 - Gallinghouse Tribe Award

 

$100 each - 15 Awards of Distinction (one for each category)

 

Non-cash - Road Runner Award

 

Non-cash - Best Display Award

 

Hospitality and Artist Amenities

 

Artists’ Hospitality will be set up in various locations throughout the Festival for daily complimentary refreshments for Artists of coffee, water, and light snacks.

 

Block Captains are scheduled during Festival hours to assist artists, such as booth sitting while an Artist is demonstrating in the Arts Alive! Tent, or to allow Artists who are alone in their booths to take a short break. If you need assistance, please request your Block Captain or a Festival Committee Member, or call (985) 789-7183.

 

Free, convenient parking

 

Inclusion in the festival program and website

 

Promotional E-mail postcards

 

Admission for two to the Awards Ceremony on Saturday night

 

Any requests or special needs must be made in writing or via email and received no later than September 1, 2026. All efforts will be made to honor such requests; however, the committee cannot guarantee that all requests will be granted.

 

Sales & Taxes

 

Artists retain 100% of their sales and are responsible for reporting their own taxes.

 

Sales taxes required by the City of Covington, St. Tammany Parish, and the State of Louisiana (total 9.75%) and reporting forms will be included in the registration packet.

 

Advertising & Promotion

 

The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival is promoted through extensive editorial coverage and paid advertising that targets sophisticated, knowledgeable buyers in the Greater New Orleans area, south Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast. The campaign includes radio, television, newspaper, magazine, direct mail, email, website, and posters. The total value of publicity and advertising is valued at $50,000.

 

Artist Statement

 

Artists must complete an Artist Statement. This statement should describe the materials, techniques, and processes you use and explain the mission, motivation, or philosophy inherent in your work. If you are a co-artists, you must describe the collaboration. Your comments will be available to the jury and should include any special or unique details, materials, and unusual processes and not easily determined by viewing the images you submit. This information may be used for promotional purposes. Additionally, you must display a copy of your Artist Statement in a prominent place in your booth during the festival. It is recommended that a photo of the artist, preferably at work, be included in the Artist Statement displayed in your festival booth.

 

Categories/Eligible Media

 

All work must be original and handcrafted by the exhibiting artist. Mass-produced items are not allowed. Artists may apply in more than one category but must submit a separate application form, fee, and images for each medium; only the booth image may be repeated. PLEASE NOTE: If you are accepted in only one medium, you may exhibit only in that category. All jewelry, regardless of medium, must be entered in the jewelry category.

 

CERAMICS/POTTERY – Original clay and porcelain work other than jewelry. No machine-made or mass-produced work is accepted. If multiple pieces of the same design are displayed, each must be signed.

 

DRAWING – Pencil, charcoal, chalk, pastels, pen & ink, etc.

 

FIBER – Work crafted from fibers including basketry, embroidery, weaving, leatherwork, tapestry, and papermaking. No machine tooling, machine-screened patterns, or other forms of mass production are accepted. No factory-produced wearable items may be exhibited, regardless of additional modification or enhancement by the artist.

FOLK - Rooted in cultural heritage rather than formal academic training, folk art often features bold colors, simple shapes, and expressive, narrative-driven designs. These works reflect community history, personal experiences, regional customs, and generational craftsmanship.

 

FUNCTIONAL ART – 3D creations that serve a purpose, such as furniture, implements, wind chimes, kaleidoscopes, etc.

 

GLASS – No molds or other forms of mass production allowed.

 

JEWELRY – No commercial casts, molds, or production studio work. All jewelry, regardless of medium, must be entered in the Jewelry category.

 

METALWORK – Non-sculptural, non-jewelry works crafted from metal.

 

2D MIXED MEDIA – Incorporates more than one type of material, with a relief depth of less than 1/8 inch.

 

3D MIXED MEDIA – Non-sculptural work incorporating more than one type of material. This category is for objects that are “decorative” rather than “useful.” (See FUNCTIONAL ART category.)

 

PAINTING – Oil, acrylics, etc.

 

PHOTOGRAPHY – Prints made from the artist’s original image must be processed by the artist or under the artist’s supervision. Photographers are required to disclose both their creative and printing processes.

 

PRINTMAKING & DIGITAL ART – Artist-created prints, serigraphs, digital art, etc., properly signed and numbered, in limited editions, on archival quality materials. Images of Giclées may not be submitted to the Jury (but maybe sold if less than 50% of your exhibit and signed/numbered). Digital Art is an original work that is executed by the artist using a computer.

 

SCULPTURE – 3-dimensional original work done in any medium, as determined by the artist.

 

WATERCOLOR – Layered and pigmented water-based media including acrylic, gouache, tempera, and transparent watercolors applied to archival acid-free stock or handmade papers.

 

WOODWORK – Original hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned, or carved work.

 

Dismantling

 

Sunday, 4:00 - 10:00 PM only. Dismantling must be completed by 10:00 PM.

 

Absolutely no packing before 4:00 PM on Sunday. Exhibitors who begin packing early will not be invited to return.

 

At the close of the Festival, volunteers will pick up booth ID signs and exhibitor badges.

 

Artists are responsible for their own dismantling. The Festival does not provide assistance with dismantling.

 

Contact Sarada Bonnett at (985) 789-7183 or Madison Tripp (985)276-2321 via email: 3riversartfest@gmail.com

 

Covington Three Rivers Art Festival,

 

710 S. Massachusetts Street, Covington, LA 70434 

www.covingtonthreeriversartfestival.com

• Artists may only display work in the categories in which they are accepted.  
• Artists must display a body of work sufficient to stock a 10’ x 10’ booth. 
• 60% of work displayed must be for sale at the Festival.
• All work exhibited must be of the quality and type of work originally accepted by the jury and must be displayed in the booth space with at least the same level of quality as represented in the image accompanying the Artist’s application.  The Festival reserves the right to prevent an artist from displaying work that is not representative of the quality and/or type of work originally accepted and reserves the right to require an Artist to display his/her work with at least the same level of quality as represented in the application.  The Festival also reserves the right to remove from the Festival any Artist [and/or Collaborating Artist] who is not in compliance with the Rules of the Festival.
• Booth image submitted with the application and its title cannot contain the name, business name, or likeness of Artist [or Collaborating Artist] in the image. 
• Any commercially produced element of an Artist’s work must play a subordinate role.
• Work done by a production studio, apprentices, or employees is not acceptable.  Commercial agents, dealers, or manufacturers are not eligible to enter. 
• Artists must prominently display an Artist Statement in their festival booth describing their process.  If there is a Collaborating Artist, the statement must describe the collaboration. 
• Art created using commercial molds, patterns or kits is not acceptable. 
• No display of previous awards will be allowed.

 

REPRODUCTION POLICY

• At least 60% of work displayed in the booth must be original artwork; not more than 40% can be comprised of reproductions, including limited editions. 
• Any artwork that is produced by any mechanical means, i.e., giclees, photo-offset, or any other reproduction technique must be labeled a “reproduction” and placed in no more than two browse bins.  Framed reproductions may be hung on only one wall of the booth and they must be labeled as reproductions.
• Signed limited editions of 750 or less are allowed for sale.  Artists must define “limited edition” in their Artist Statement, and must disclose their process to the buyer.
• Violators of the spirit, as well as the letter, of the policy will be required to remove reproductions.

Fees

Application Fee:

A $35 nonrefundable application fee must be paid through ZAPPlication with a credit card or Pay Pal.

Booth Fees:$350 for a single booth
$600 for a corner or break-in-row booth (two open sides of a display)
$760 for a double booth
$860 double booth with corner or break-in-row

We do NOT guarantee a corner or break in the row; even if you pay, we'll reimburse you.
Double, corner or break-in-row booths will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.

No refunds for any reason unless approved by the board.

Full refund up to September 1st, after September 1st, no refunds for any reason unless approved by the board.