Coming in July- Our 5th annual Evanston Plein Air Festival

For Immediate Release 

March 24, 2026

Evanston Made Hosts 5th Annual Evanston Plein Air Festival July 11-19

with festival founder Mark Cleveland as Best in Show Judge

Evanston, IL -- Evanston Made presents the 5th Annual Evanston Plein Air Festival: July 11-19, 2026. This citywide summer arts festival invites plein air the community to attend plein air art events, plein air — the act of painting outdoors, hosted in every neighborhood, accessible and free for all! This mid-summer festival is a vibrant, art-filled experience for arts enthusiasts and patrons.

Evanston Made is thrilled to welcome Best in Show Judge : Mark Cleveland, for this year’s Festival. Mark's role as Founder of the Evanston Plein Air Festival and Top 100 Finalist in Plein Air Magazine's Plein Air Salon Art Competition make him an ideal judge to celebrate this festival's 5th Anniversary. Click HERE for Mark's Bio and website. 

Festival attendees are invited to join the festival excitement and watch as competing plein air painters paint outdoors at Evanston’s iconic locations. Take a workshop with prestigious artists and learn the joys of painting outdoors. Get a front row seat to the fast-paced magic of the Paint Out competition, where artists complete a painting from start to finish, in one afternoon. Join the Festival Grand Finale Award Ceremony at Rotary International headquarters in Downtown Evanston, 1560 Sherman Ave. and vote for the Festival Favorite.

Rotary International, in Downtown Evanston, hosts the Festival Finale at Sherman and Grove Avenues, featuring the en Plein Air Cafe. The chefs at Rotary’s Cafe International design a festival menu of small bites and wine for festival goers to purchase and enjoy in the sunken garden in front of Rotary Headquarters on Sherman Ave.

Gina Speckman, Executive Director of Chicago's North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau, “Evanston Made created a summer festival that drew visitors from the Midwest region the first year. Plein Air Festivals are a big economic driver for places like Door County and Cedarburg, and this festival is poised to be the same for Evanston. We look forward to welcoming visitors to join us for a joyful, community-facing summer art festival and continuing to grow this event exponentially each year."

Katherine Gotsick, Executive Director of The Main Dempster Mile, “Free summer art festivals are making a comeback in Evanston and we especially love that the Plein Air Festival attracts artists and art patrons from across North America!”

The MDM and Evanston Made partner to host a Block Party for the competing Plein Air painters for the Plein Air Art Festival. Free and open to all to attend, the Block Party features a Paint Out Award ceremony, plein air works of art on exhibit and for sale, live music, local food and beverage and a family friendly vibe. Friday, July 18, 5:30-7:30p.

“Evanston Made continues to meet the needs of Evanston’s creative community and free summer Art Festivals are in huge demand. Partners like Rotary International and Chicago's North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau make this festival sustainable!” says Liz Cramer, Co-Director of Evanston Made. 

Festival event information and registration to compete is available at evanstonpleinairfest.org 

About Partners

Evanston Made is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization with the mission to connect Evanston creatives to the public through programming and events. Learn more at evanstonmade.org

Main Dempster Mile is a special Service Area for the commercial districts that currently make up the Chicago/Dempster business district and the Main Street business district. Learn more at maindempstermile.com

Rotary unites a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.4 million people of action from more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives both locally and internationally, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

Chicago's North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation that provides marketing, special event, placemaking, and management services to the downtown Evanston business district. Learn more at visitchicagonorthshore.com

###

For more information, contact Lisa Degliatoni, Co-Director of Evanston Made at info@evanstonmade.org or (847)544-8205