ArtsGoggle, the Near Southside street festival that has filled Magnolia Avenue with artists' booths for 23 years, will not be held in 2027, its organizer has confirmed.
Megan Henderson, president of Near Southside Inc., told the Fort Worth Report that underground water work on Magnolia expected to start next spring makes a fall 2027 festival unworkable. No return date has been set.
The last one for a while
This year's festival goes on as planned from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, along 21 blocks of Magnolia. Admission is free. Organizers expect more than 800 artists selling original work, 64 free music performances and more than 50 local food vendors.
Henderson said artists are counting on strong sales this year to build up reserves before the pause. "This is a neighborhood that took us 30 years to turn into a vibrant, culturally rich destination street for the city," she told the Report.
Why the street is closing
The Fort Worth Water Department is replacing aging cast iron water mains under Magnolia Avenue and nearby Near Southside streets as part of a citywide effort to cut down on main breaks, according to the city's project page. Henderson said pipe conditions in Magnolia Village are "so poor" that the area was flagged as a critical location.
A city presentation cited by the Report puts the project's finish in spring 2029, a date it said could shift depending on the contractor. Bidding is expected to open in November, and the city plans to give bidders a phasing plan meant to limit disruption and work around events on Magnolia.
