Panoply Arts Festival returns to Big Spring Park this weekend

HUNTSVILLE – It’s here! The Panoply Arts Festival, presented by Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, returns this weekend, April 25-27, to Big Spring Park in Huntsville. This premier Southeast arts weekend is a celebration of art, music, and community showcasing the Huntsville area’s unique blend of creativity.

Over four decades, Panoply Arts Festival has evolved into a one-of-a-kind arts weekend showcasing Huntsville’s innovative spark through a three-day celebration of art, music and more.

The 2025 Panoply celebration kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 25, with regionally celebrated bands and musicians, the fan-favorite juried Art Marketplace, STEAM Street, art interactives, craft beer and wine, local food trucks and more.

Here is a breakdown of what to expect:

Tickets, Festival Entrances and Services

For ease of convenience, Panoply 2025 will return to three entrances presented by Huntsville Utilities. Entrances will be located on Church Street near the Downtown YMCA, Williams Avenue at Big Spring Park, and Monroe Street across from the Von Braun Center.

Arts Huntsville is offering a Panoply weekend pass available online or at the Panoply ticket booths for $20. The pass provides an affordable way to enjoy Panoply’s array of entertainment all weekend. Weekend passes are available online only through Friday, April 25 at 4:00 p.m. Day passes are $15 and can be purchased in advance online and at the festival ticket booths, presented by Redstone Federal Credit Union. Children 12 and under are free of charge. Tickets are on sale now at artshuntsville.org.

Panoply 2025 hours by day are:

Friday, April 25, from 5 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Art Marketplace closes at 7:30 p.m.) Sunday, April 27, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Featured Music

Panoply 2025 brings together a vibrant musical lineup featuring the best in local and regional music with over 20 bands and performers. Get ready to experience a wide range of musical genres on one massive stage located in the heart of Big Spring Park. From soulful jazz and electrifying rock to smooth R&B and catchy pop, the Panoply Showcase Stage presented by Pepsi offers something for every musical taste. Headliners will include Billy Allen + the Pollies on Friday night, and Saturday’s mid-day Headliner is local favorite Element XI. Saturday Night of Panoply is the “official after- party” for the Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo and will feature fan favorite rock ‘n roll band Carver Commodore.

New this year will be the addition of DJs on Friday and Saturday to keep the music flowing and everyone dancing in the park in between acts. Sunday will feature five distinct performers ranging from jazz to bluegrass. Panoply will close the 2025 festival on Sunday with a new alternative rock band that bridges the gap between classic Southern influences and modern rock sensibilities – Red Flags – giving us a sneak peak of their opening set for the Avett Brothers in May.

Art Marketplace

The Panoply Art Marketplace, presented by the College of Arts and Sciences at Athen State University, provides prime shopping across Huntsville’s picturesque and beloved Big Spring Park. This year the juried Art Marketplace will welcome more than 100 visual artists. One of the festival’s most popular features, the 2025 Art Marketplace will showcase longtime festival artists and 45 first-time Panoply exhibitors. This year’s artists come from 20 states. (Full list of artists available on artshuntsville. org.)

Student Art Tent and Face Painting

Children and adults will discover budding local artistic talent at the Panoply Student Art Tent, presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama. This popular Panoply destination features artwork from students of all ages who attend public and private schools in Madison County. Right next to the Student Art Tent and beside the Travelers II public art installation, festivalgoers can celebrate their creative side at the Panoply Face Painting Tent – a festival favorite – presented by Mirabel Chan and the Pei Ling Charitable Trust.

Panoply Poster Artist

Each year, Arts Huntsville commissions an artist to create an art piece that captures the festival’s spirit and the community. This year’s Panoply poster artist is Danny Cottingham.

Danny Cottingham is a North Alabama artist living in Huntsville, where he states the city’s “Rocket City” identity fuels his retro-futuristic art. His work, primarily acrylic paintings on wood, features rockets, robots and vintage sci-fi themes, though he also explores classic subjects. Beyond painting, Danny is a graphic designer for national companies and a dance music artist/ DJ, showcasing a diverse creative range.

“We are thrilled to feature local artist Danny Cottingham’s work on the 2025 Panoply poster and festival t-shirts,” shared Arts Huntsville Executive Director Allison Dillon- Jauken. “This year, as Panoply serves as the official Saturday Night After-Party for the Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo, we’re confident festivalgoers of all ages will see themselves in Danny’s playful and vibrant depiction of Panoply taking over downtown Huntsville.”

Cottingham will sell his original paintings at Panoply, and festivalgoers can purchase merchandise featuring his artwork at the Panoply Store, presented by Georgia Pacific.

The Panoply ZenZone

The Panoply ZenZone, presented by Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children, returns this year to support festivalgoer of all ages with sensory needs. Panoply, by definition, is a magnificent array. At the Panoply ZenZone, festivalgoers of all ages will find an intentionally designed space in Big Spring Park that provides sensory resources for attendees to better enjoy the Panoply experience. The sensory-friendly space also offers an area for nursing mothers within the festival.

Hands-on Activities Panoply Arts Festival is a colorful exploration of the arts for everyone. Festivalgoers of all ages will also get to stretch their creative muscles with hands-on community art activities.

Panoply’s STEAM Street, presented by Toyota AL, will feature activities by:

• Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theatre’s Galaxy of Wonder presented by National Space Club

• Huntsville Ballet’s Rocket Dancers presented by KBR

• Hovercrafts presented by Hexagon • Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Animate your Imagination

• Wild Ones of North Alabama’s Garden of Hope presented by TVA

• Huntsville City Schools Magnet Program’s Binary Bracelets presented by Intrepid This year’s Panoply Creativity Corner, presented by Virginia and Parker Griffith, will offer Art Adventures for all to enjoy:

• Panoply Robot Puppets presented by Cynthia & Rey Almodovar

• Dancing Princesses & Spring Snake Sculptures

• Troll Time

• Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guilds ‘Discover Music’ presented by Publix Charities. The Symphony Guild’s popular interactive experience introduces young people to musical instruments.

• Fan- favorite “Paint the Panoply Letters” presented by SCHOEL

Military Salute Night

The Panoply tradition of Military Salute Night, presented by Leidos, continues Friday, April 25th. All active- duty military and Armed Forces Reserves and their dependents are welcomed to the park for a free evening of entertainment. Military personnel will be asked to show their current military ID at the entrances.

Panoply Food, Treats, Beer & Wine: Panoply’s popular Craft Beer and Wine Tent returns, featuring select wine and local craft beer from Yellowhammer and Straight to Ale. Panoply will also showcase a great assortment of the festival food you’ve come to expect with lemonade, shaved ice, pecans, kettle corn, gelato and more from over 17 food trucks and vendors.

Fireworks

Friday and Saturday night end with a stunning fireworks display presented by Delta Research.

For more information, volunteer sign-up, and to purchase tickets, visit the Arts Huntsville website at www. artshuntsville.org/panoply-arts-festival/. Follow @ArtsHuntsville on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates leading up to Panoply Arts Festival.