Red River Revel 50th Annual

The 50th Annual Red River Revel Arts Festival is celebration of art, music, food, and culture held at Festival Plaza in Shreveport, Louisiana. The festival features visual artists, four performance stages, food booths and a children’s arts education area.

Visual art is a central element to the Revel and great importance is placed on quality. Artists are selected to participate based on a blind jury process. The festival dates are Thrusday-Sunday on two weekends: Oct. 8-11 and Oct. 15-18. Artists may chose the 1st weekend, the second weekend, por both weekends. NOTE: There a limited number of double booths for single weekend applicants; acceptance will be based on the highest jury scores.

Artists can expect to be the featured dynamic of the festival, with art buyers travelling hundreds of miles specifically to purchase original art from vendors. Revel Artists accounted for nearly a million dollars in sales in 2025, and averaged over $10,000 per artist during the festival. 

Mission Statement: Our goal is to provide the general populace a 'Celebration of the Arts' that brings the finest in visual and performing arts experiences to our area. The Revel is designed to be primarily educational in nature, entirely non-commercial, non-political, non-partisan, and non-sectarian. We strive to deliver an amazing week of art and music education for kids, teens, and adults to enjoy. 

• Direct sales, no commission
• Tents with outer walls provided
• Free Parking available
• 24-hour on-site security, including days between weekends
• Hospitality room with beverages
• Booth sitters and energetic volunteers
• Wristband for food & beverage with a per diem of $10 for each day you are at the festival
• Guidebook and website listing artists with booth location
• $90,000+ in event marketing including print, billboards, TV, radio and online/social media
• Local, Regional, & National music acts draw thousands of attendees, admission is only $10 after 5pm weekdays and all day on Saturdays & Sundays
• Nearby hotels and support services (restaurants, lodging, & shopping near the festival site)

• Ceramics/Pottery – Original clay and porcelain work other than jewelry. No machine-made or mass-produced work is permitted. If multiple pieces of the same design are displayed, each piece must be signed.
• Computer Generated Art – Any original work for which the original image or the manipulation of other source material was executed by computer. Artwork must be completely generated by the exhibiting artist using active editing and illustration techniques. Automated graphical processes are not allowed. Must be in limited editions, signed and numbered on archival quality materials.
• Drawing – Using dry media including chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencil, wax crayon, etc. or from the fluid medium of inks and washes applied by pen or brush.
• Fiber – Decorative or wearable. Work crafted from fibers including leather, basketry, embroidery, weaving, tapestry, and papermaking. No machine tooling, machine-screened patterns or miscellaneous forms of mass production are permitted. All factory-produced wearable items, regardless of additional modification or enhancement by the artist, will be rejected.
• Glass – No forms of mass production are permitted.
• Graphics/Printmaking – Printed works for which the artist hand manipulated the plates, stones or screens and which have been properly signed and numbered as a limited edition. All photogravure, photocopy and/or off set reproductions will be rejected. Prints of original work made by the applying artist are allowed. 
• Jewelry – All jewelry including work produced from metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic or other materials. Jewelry MAY NOT consist of 50% or more machine made components. No commercial casts, molds or production studio work is allowed. 
• Metal – All non-sculptural, non-jewelry works crafted from metals.
• Miscellaneous - Any art that does not fit in the other categories.
• Mixed Media – Both two– and three-dimensional works that incorporate more than one type of physical material to produce. The work has relief or depth of not more than one eighth of an inch (1/8″). Includes non-sculptural work as determined by the artist.
• Oil/Acrylics – Two-dimensional
• Photography – Photographic prints made from the artist’s original negative, which have been processed by that artist or under his or her direct supervision. Prints must be from limited editions, signed and numbered by the artist.
• Sculpture – Three-dimensional original work done in any medium, including built up works in wood.
• Watercolor – Two-dimensional
• Wood – Original works in wood that are hand-tooled, machine-worked, turned or carved are accepted in the wood category. “Built up” wood belongs in the sculpture category.

Applications Open: February 9, 2026
Deadline to Apply for the Jury: May 1, 2026
Festival Acceptance Notificiation: May 22, 2026
Contract and Booth Fee Deadline: August 1, 2026

Artwork Eligibility: Artwork must be original, designed and handcrafted by the exhibiting artist(s). No commercial reproductions or mass-produced items will be 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. All jewelry must be juried in the jewelry category. Only those artists accepted in the jewelry category may display or sell jewelry.

Jury Process: The artisits will be scored by a blind jury. Artists’ identities are not disclosed to the jury. The jury is comprised of art experts, gallery owners and professional artists. Applications who are not selected in the juries are automatically included backup pool to replace any artist who is invited but declines the invitation. Artists who have been juried in will be notified by May 22, 2026.

Parking & Lodging: Free parking is available to all artists in assigned lots only. Accepted artists will recieve additional information about parking options available to them. The Red River Revel also works with hotels in close proximity to the festival site to offer discounted hotel rates to artists during the festival. 

Booth Payment: Deposits are available to accepted artists section of the application process. Deposits are due by July 1, 2026. All booth fees must be paid in full by August 1, 2026. Your booth space will not be assigned until you are paid in full. An option to send a check payment is available but you will not be assigned your booth space until payment is made. 

NEW IN 2026, READ CAREFULLY: Insurance Requirement: All vendors accepted into the market must have a product general/liability insurance policy that covers $1,000,000/occurrence; $2,000,000/aggregate on an occurrence basis, and you must provide the Revel with a COI (certificate of insurance) listing Red River Revel, Inc, 101 Crockett St, Suite C, Shreveport, LA 71101 as additional insured. If you need coverage for this event you can select the insurance at checkout after you have been invited and are ready to pay for your booth. Fees: $75 single booth; $110 double booth. Deadline to pay or provide COI is August 1, 2026, no exceptions. If you have any questions, please contact us. 

Artist Statement: Artists must complete an artist statement. This statement should describe the materials techniques, and processes used to create as well as the mission, motivation, or philosophy in the work. If you are co-artists, you must describe the collaboration. Your statement will be available to the jury and should include any special or unique details not represneted by the photos submitted. Please do not include your business or personal name in your artist statement.

Fundraiser: All accepted artists must donate a piece or collection of work worth $100 or more to the Red River Revel during the festival and before dismantling their booth (no exceptions). This art is used annually in a fundraiser. 100% of the money raised in the fundraiser goes directly into jury award prizes. 

Sales: All sales are handled by the artists. The Revel does not collect commission on sales. Artist is responsible for collecting and submitting state and local sales taxes. 

Security: The Red River Revel will provide 24-Hour on-site security, including closed days between each weekend, but cannot assume liability for damage, loss, or theft.

Weather: The Red River Revel is an outdoor festival and is held rain or shine.

Cancellations: Cancellations made by the artist in writing before July 1, 2026 will receive 50% of thier booth fee refunded. There will be no refunds after this date. Application fees are non-refundable.

1st Weekendend Standard Booth (Oct 8-11) - $550

1st Weekend Double Booth (Oct 8-11) - $1,100

2nd Weekend Standard Booth (Oct 15-18) - $550

2nd Weekend Double Booth (Oct 15-18) - $1,100

Both Weekends Standard Booth (Oct 8-11 and 15-18) - $900

Both Weekends Double Booth (Oct 8-11 and 15-18) - $1,700

Size: Exhibition booths are 10′ x 10′ or 10′ x 20′ (under one 20’x20’ tent). Each booth has a corner space with 7’6″ clearance; outside sidewalls are provided. Artists are required to provide all display materials; no inside display walls are provided.

Lighting/Electricity: Electricity will be provided in each tent space. Quad boxes are to be shared by up to four booths and are located at the center of each 20′ x 20′ tent. Each booth space has access to a 20-amp outlet. Each artist must supply their own extension cords and lighting.

Hospitality: Hospitality room will be available daily. During festival hours, beverages will be available. Each artist booth will recieve a wristband for food & beverage with a per diem of $10 for each day you are at the festival. One (1) additional wristband may be registered for an assistant who must be present at the festival with valid ID. One artist may not acquire two wristbands for one person working a booth. This will be strictly enforced, a 2nd wristband will only be given to the assistant when signed for in person.