Cider Days on Historic Walnut Street 2026

The Springfield Regional Arts Council in collaboration with the Downtown Springfield Association is proud to steward the next chapter of Cider Days. Building on the festival's long-standing success and loyal audience, the Arts Council brings decades of experience producing juried art festivals, community arts programs, and cultural events throughout the Ozarks. 

LOCATION 

Held along Historic Walnut Street in Springfield, Missouri, Cider Days takes place amid tree-lined streets and beautifully preserved Victorian homes that provide a unique backdrop for one of the region's most beloved fall festivals. Situated between Downtown Springfield and Missouri State University, the festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year to experience outstanding artists, heritage crafts, live music, local food, and the rich cultural traditions of the Ozarks. 

 
SHOW DATES & TIMES 
Saturday, September 19, 2026, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM 
Sunday, September 20, 2026, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM 
The festival is held rain or shine. 
 
JURY INFORMATION 

• The non-refundable jury fee is $30 
• All artists will be notified by July 24, 2026 
• The jury panel will consist of three independent, qualified jurors 
• Each entry will be considered solely on the merits of the works pictured in the images submitted 
• Each entry will be assigned a number and will be identified to the jurors by that number 
• The following factors will be considered in jurying: 
  • Overall Presentation: The body of work should be cohesive and show an identity of design. The display should be professional, inviting and complementary to the work 
  • Craftsmanship: Work should be well-conceived and expertly executed 
  • Originality: All work must be the original work of the artist. It should convey the individuality of the artist and exhibit visual distinction. Artwork created using artificial intelligence is not permitted. 

Up to 100 artists will be accepted and 15-20 alternates chosen. Alternates will be notified via email if a spot becomes available. 
 
MEDIA DESCRIPTIONS 

• Traditional & Heritage Craft: Works rooted in traditional folk practices, regional craft traditions, heritage processes, or historical making techniques that may not fit neatly into another category.  
• Pottery & Clay: Functional or decorative clay work including wheel-thrown, hand-built, sculptural, and traditional ceramic practices. Mass-produced molds or commercially manufactured imports are not permitted. 
• Woodworking: Original hand-crafted woodwork including carving, furniture, turned wood, signs, utensils, toys, architectural craft, and functional objects. 
• Fiber Arts & Textiles: Handcrafted work in fiber including weaving, quilting, embroidery, basketry, macramé, felt work, sewing, rug hooking, spinning, natural dyeing, and textile-based folk traditions. 
• Jewelry & Wearable Art: Handcrafted wearable works created from metal, clay, glass, fiber, leather, wood, stone, or mixed materials. 
• Metalwork & Blacksmithing: Decorative or functional metalwork, tinsmithing, sculpture, and traditional craft techniques. 
• Glass: Original works in stained glass, fused glass, blown glass, mosaic, kiln-formed, or assembled glass art. 
• Printmaking & Paper Arts: Original printmaking including relief printing, linocut, screenprinting, letterpress, marbling, book arts, and handmade paper goods. 
• Leatherwork: Handcrafted leather goods including belts, bags, journals, accessories, footwear, saddlery-inspired work, and traditional tooling techniques. 
• Sculpture: Original three-dimensional artwork created from clay, wood, metal, stone, plaster, fiber, found materials, or mixed media. 
• Painting & Drawing: Original two-dimensional artwork including painting, drawing, illustration, hand-painted signage, and folk-inspired works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, ink, pastel, charcoal, or similar media. 
• Mixed Media: Original two-dimensional and three-dimensional works that incorporate more than one material or process into a single cohesive work. 
• Handmade Bath, Body & Herbal Goods: Artisanal soaps, candles, herbal products, apothecary goods, and similar handcrafted items. Products must be artist-made and not commercially manufactured for resale. 
• Culinary Artisan Goods: Artist-made specialty food products including jams, baked goods, candies, spice blends, honey, syrups, cider-related goods, and other handcrafted consumables compliant with health regulations. 
• Digital Art: Original artwork created using digital tools as part of the artistic process or presentation. Artwork created using artificial intelligence is not permitted. Excludes photography. 
• Photography: Works created by digital or traditional photographic methods. Actual artist photographer must be in attendance.

 
DIGITAL IMAGE SUBMISSION 
Submit five images: Four images representative of the work to be exhibited in the booth and a fifth of the booth display. 
 
IMPORTANT DATES 

• June 5, 2026: Application becomes available 

• July 7, 2026: Application deadline 

• July 24, 2026: Jury notifications sent to artists 

• August 7, 2026: Acceptance and booth purchase deadline 

• August 31, 2026: Booth assignments and show information sent to artists 

• Friday, September 18, 2026: Set-up starting at 1 PM in assigned waves 

• Saturday, September 19, 2026: Show open from 10 AM–5 PM 

• Sunday, September 20, 2026: Show open from 10 AM–5 PM 

ARTIST AMENITIES 

• Drive to your booth space for unloading/loading 

• Booth sitters provided each day 

• Breakfast of coffee and pastries provided each day at Artist Hospitality Tent 

• Luxury restroom facilities at Artist Hospitality Tent 

• All work must be designed and created by the accepted artist or artisan. Collaborative family studios or traditional craft partnerships must be disclosed during the application process. 
• Work produced from commercially manufactured kits, mass-produced components, or purchased blanks intended primarily for resale is not permitted. 
• Artists may only exhibit work within the category or categories for which they were accepted. Limited crossover between closely related handmade mediums may be permitted with prior approval. 
• No imports or buy/sell. Items purchased from others (whether wholesale, retail, or third parties) expressly for resale are prohibited. All work must be original, handmade work produced by the exhibiting artist or artisan. Any work found to be out of compliance during jury review, setup, or festival hours may be removed or disqualified. 
• All artwork and handmade goods exhibited or sold at Cider Days must be original, human-created work by the submitting artist or artisan. Artwork created using AI tools, text-to-image generators, or other automated algorithms (in whole or in part) is not permitted. 
• Accepted artists or artisans must be present throughout the duration of the festival. No agents, dealers, or representatives may exhibit in place of the maker. A photo ID may be required at check-in. 
• All vendors are responsible for obtaining any required City of Springfield retail licenses, State of Missouri tax identification numbers, health permits, or other applicable licensing related to their category of work. 
• Vendors are responsible for collecting and reporting all applicable sales tax. 
• Artists and vendors must provide their own booth display, including tent or canopy, tables, chairs, and display fixtures. 
• All tents and canopies must be properly weighted and secured for safety. 
• Cider Days takes place rain or shine. Artists and vendors are responsible for the safety, insurance, and protection of their work, display, equipment, and inventory. The festival is not responsible for damage due to weather, theft, or other incidents. 
• Reproductions of original artwork must be clearly labeled as reproductions. Mass-produced merchandise is not permitted.
• When applicable, artists are encouraged to demonstrate their craft or process within their booth space. 
• Cider Days reserves the right to remove work, displays, or vendors that do not align with festival standards, category guidelines, or the overall mission and character of the event. 

Booth Assignments will be sent via email August 31, 2026.  

• All booth spaces are 10´ by 10´ 
• There is a $200 booth fee 
• If you write a check, it should be made out to the Springfield Regional Arts Council 
• Booth spaces will be around 3 feet apart.  
• Electricity is extremely limited and available for an additional $25 fee, and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Artists will be assigned a set up time based on their booth number. Set up will start at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 18, 2026. Artists can opt into a later set up time, but not an earlier one. 
 
All artists need to be set up and ready for sales by 9:30 AM each day. 

This is a rain-or-shine event. There are no rain dates. All application, booth, and jury fees are non-refundable. Fees for electricity, corner booth upgrades, or any other optional add-ons are also non-refundable once payment has been submitted. 

In the unlikely event that the festival is canceled by the organizer, artists will be notified directly with information regarding any potential credits or refunds.