10-04-2025
Gear up for Houston's annual Art Car Parade
Honk! Honk! Houston's streets will once again turn into a moving gallery Saturday for the 38th annual Art Car Parade.
Why it matters: More than 250 rolling masterpieces will cruise through downtown and along Allen Parkway in the city's largest free public art event, drawing over 200,000 spectators each year.
This year, about 120 entries are new to the parade, according to Jack Massing, executive director of the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art.
Some are first-time drivers while others are returning with refreshed designs.
What they're saying:"It's kind of like a slideshow of amazement going by, and that's just a wonderful, really fun thing to come out and see," Massing tells Axios.
"It's just really an oddball thing, right? People are eccentric, and they want to do something to their car. And there's all different ranges of things being done," he tells Axios.
Zoom in: The lineup party starts at 11am on Allen Parkway between Taft and Bagby streets, with live music and a closer look at the cars — plus a surprise installation from Meow Wolf.
The parade rolls out at 2pm from downtown at the I-45 overpass through Allen Parkway near Waugh Drive. Here's the route.
Free and paid parking is located along the parade route. Be aware of street closures.
Worthy of your time: The Art Car After Party kicks off at 5pm Saturday at Market Square Park, where the art cars will be on display and artists will be on hand to chat.
Many of the creations come to life at night, Massing says, since some of the cars have some light features.
There's also the Legendary Art Car Ball from 6pm-11pm Friday with tickets from $50, and the award ceremony with over $15,000 in prize money at 11am Sunday.
