Art Made Here

Date: Mar 28, 2026

Time: 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location(s):

Downtown Garland Square

Experience the Magic of Art made Here!

Join us for our annual spring arts festival, a vibrant celebration of the city's creative spirit. From hands-on crafts to captivating live performances, Art Made Here offers a diverse, family-friendly experience that welcomes everyone.

Discover, engage, and be inspired at this free event in Downtown Garland, where visual and performing artists come together to make art appreciation and education accessible to everyone.

Performances

Community Drum Circle

2 - 3:30 pM

Embark on a rhythmic journey as you join the community drum circle, where participants of all skill levels come together to create a harmonious tapestry of sound, fostering connection and musical expression.

Battle Grounds Dance

3:30 - 4:30 PM

Get ready for high-energy exhibition battles, choreographed performances, and impressive routines from youth crews presented by Battle Grounds.

Dallas Kiyari Daiko

4:35 - 4:55 PM

Dallas Kiyari Daiko brings the power and intensity of traditional Japanese taiko drumming to the stage, where synchronized rhythms, dynamic movement, and thunderous beats create an unforgettable performance.

Grace Hula Dance

5 - 5:45 PM

Experience the rhythms of the islands with hula dancers and Tahitian drummers from Grace Hula Dance. During the performance, guests will have the chance to take part in the dance.

Spicy Violin

5:45 - 6:25 PM

Spicy Violin delivers a high-energy, multi-sensory performance that blends classical precision, pop hits, live looping, and dynamic lighting into an electrifying show that redefines what the violin can do.

DJ Band Hybrid

6:30 - 8 PM

Texas native DJ Spice Girl brings her open-format style to the stage in this DJ Band Hybrid performance, blending crowd-favorite hits, from House and 90s R&B to Hip Hop, Salsa, Cumbias, and Top 40, alongside a live musician for an interactive, high-energy set that keeps everyone moving.

Activities

Art Fair

Explore artwork and handmade goods from local artists and anime artists, representing a variety of disciplines, including painting, photography, ceramics, and much more.

GISD Make & Take

The beloved Make & Take is back!

Artists of all ages will enjoy a variety of arts and crafts activities hosted by Garland ISD Fine Arts.

Cowboy Hat Decorating Station

Young creatives can decorate their own cowboy hats at this hands-on activity station, with hats provided for kids to design and take home as a fun keepsake.

Community Mural

Join artist Cullin Lassiter in bringing a collaborative mural to life at Art Made Here!

Featuring a whimsical design of cowboy hats forming a cloudy sky, the mural is created paint-by-number style, where attendees choose a color and fill in matching sections to complete the artwork together.

Silhouette Artist

Sit for a hand-cut silhouette portrait, and watch as your profile is crafted into a striking keepsake.

Henna Tattoos

Choose from a variety of henna designs and enjoy a beautiful, temporary body art experience created by a skilled henna artist.

Downtown Garland's Tiny Hat Hunt

Garland proudly holds the title of Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas, built on a rich legacy of crafting more than a million Western hats each year — worn by presidents, celebrities, and icons. That craftsmanship comes from right here in Garland, home to:

Hatco (Resistol & Stetson)
Dorfman Milano (Larry Mahan & Justin)
Master Hatters of Texas (crafting hats locally since 1968)

Recognized by the State of Texas in 2013, Garland’s impact on the Western hat industry is celebrated downtown with a larger-than-life cowboy hat sculpture.

During Art Made Here, the Tiny Hat Hunt brings that heritage to life. Use clues to find tiny brass hats hidden throughout downtown businesses and hotspots — a fun, interactive way to explore while honoring Garland’s iconic title.

Chalk Artists

Watch as talented chalk artists create decorative, larger-than-life cowboy hat designs in real time.

Artists:
Carissa Nalley
Pete Taboada
Haley Justitz

Dumpster Beautification

Local artists will transform ordinary dumpsters into vibrant works of art during this live painting experience, bringing bold, creative designs to life throughout the event for attendees to enjoy.

At The Plaza

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Bring the family for a special screening of the animated adventure The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021). It’s the perfect mid-afternoon break filled with laughs, heart, and high-tech hijinks!

Film begins at 2 p.m.

Film Digitizing

The Texas Archive of the Moving Image (TAMI), in partnership with the Texas Film Commission, is bringing the Texas Film Round-Up to Garland!

Have old home movies or videotapes? Bring them to the Plaza Theatre between 4 and 8 p.m. for free digitization and help preserve Garland’s history.

While you’re there, enjoy archival footage from Garland’s past and see local history come to life on screen.

Food

If all this talk of art is making you hungry, fear not!

Refuel between all the action with these mouthwatering food options:

Downtown Dining

Blue Rat Thai Kitchen
Cafe Frida
Del Rancho
Dos Banderas
Fish N' Tails
Fortunate Son
Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery
Latham Bakery
Lockwood Distilling Co.
Main Street Café
Main Street Deli
Mrs. J's Heav'nly Delights
Rosalind Coffee
Scoop N' Boba
Scoop N' Buns
Smith Spot BBQ
Tavern on the Square
Taco y Vino

Food Trucks

Fried by Pink
Scoop n' Buns
Peke's Fruteria

We want to hear from you!

Stop by the Visit Garland booth during the event to fill out a survey about what you would like to see at next year's Art Made Here!

The first 100 people to complete the survey will receive a ticket for a FREE cotton candy from Sweet Thangs Cotton Candy!

Thank you to our sponsors:

Pilar Funeral Home

Sherwin Williams Garland-Forest

Click here to discover our Event Sponsorship Packages.