From October 7 to 11, the Newark Arts Festival marks its twenty-fifth anniversary with five days of exhibitions, performances, open studio tours and community programming across Newark. The festival opens on October 7 with a kickoff at Express Newark and the opening of On Purpose: The 25th Anniversary Exhibition, a show of 74 artists. Artist Bisa Butler and Grammy winner Durand Bernarr headline, with Bernarr appearing on Saturday at the Newark Museum of Art. The festival is presented by the Newark Arts Council.

Corrected on October 4, 2026: the festival dates, opening venue and anniversary details have been updated to match the organizer’s published schedule.

Sources consulted: Newark Arts Festival (newarkartsfestival.com), Newark Arts (newarkarts.org), the PR Newswire release of September 16, 2026, and The Newark Times.