SparkCon is a really fun event that keeps getting better and better each year. I wish there were more activities Friday during the day, since that's when I attended this year, but I guess that was my own fault. Evidently there were lots of cool things on Friday evening that I missed. Most people probably don't have Friday off like I happened to that day. :) I always love seeing the chalk drawings, and the circus performers. This year I watched some bike polo and got a poem on demand written about my friend's baby! So cool! The whole vibe is so fun and friendly and creative. I can't wait for next year! read more

This is my second year to attend. I can't go tomorrow, so I went tonight (Friday). Didn't draw a *huge* crowd, but there were a fair amount of people there. I attended a brief portion of the fashion show and a brief portion of the Circus act. Both were okay. I remember last year having a little more substance but I was also there on Saturday, not on Friday. There were only three food trucks out tonight and artists were just beginning to create their chalk art on the streets. A fun event nonetheless. And it's FREE. I hope they do the vintage map thing at the City of Raleigh museum again. That was my favorite part last year. read more

Such a cool event! This is an event that has something for the whole family. This is the second year I have been and it gets bigger every year. SPARKcon has so many things to offer. You can find something to interest/entertain everyone from art to music to crafts and comedy. This year I was only able to come out for one day and didn't get to see as much as I wanted to. What I did see was awesome! My friends and I started the day with a walk through the chalk art. The people that create this art are amazing and can do such cool things with chalk. We then listened to some music and watched the circus acts. My favorite part of the day was watching the fire dancers during their tribute to Queen and then participating in the 70's dance party in the middle of Fayetteville Street. So much fun! I can't wait to see what they add next year and hopefully I'll make it to some comedy next year. read more

SPARKcon - Awesome chalk art - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Just Amazing! Great way to spend your day/evening and see all the amazing artists!! Chalk Art Rocks and all the Artists are Unbelievable!! True Talent!! The singers, vendors, etc Rock Too!! read more

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How come this has been going on for 5 years and I've never heard of it?!? I didn't get to see or explore barely any of this due to other plans and studying obligations on top of regular work, but I got a small glimpse of it. Friday, 9/17/10 after a pretty fantastic Prom I made it to a Music Spark after party White Collar Crime and it was packed! There was a band inside but it was a bit too rowdy for my taste. More of a garage band style. Saturday after attempting to be productive at home I got downtown just in time to see the Circus Spark amazingness! Apparently it's the first year they've ever had a Circus Spark. From 10 - 11pm The Fire Conclave gave a show that Raleigh has never seen before! The intersection of Fayettevile and Davie was taken over by not just a troupe, but an entire parade of fire performers, for a mystifying experience of light, sound and heat that kept me in awe for the whole time. Fire breathing! Fire hooping! Poi! It was just amazing! I've seen fire performances twice: once at Mosaic and once when two of my friends (one who was a part of Circus Spark) did a little show at a backyard party. I'm dying to go to an actual big top circus now. After that we walked around and looked at all the beautiful stupendous sidewalk chalk art. This was NOT your typical art that you see drawn with sidewalk chalk. It was bright vivid colors, flowing, graphic, expressive, smiley, creative, eye-catching, and thought-provoking. I can't wait to check out next year's creative showings...this city never ceases to amaze me with what it can come up with. read more

SPARKcon is just the coolest. We have some amazing festivals here in the Triangle and SPARKcon is definitely one of them. Thank goodness the weather worked out and everyone could enjoy the festivities. I had a chance to check out the fire performers and the Back to Oz show on the main stage at city plaza on Friday evening. The circus acts are just amazing to watch and I love the crowd this festival brings out. This is a great time for adults or kids there are all kinds of fun activities for everyone. Check out all the sidewalk art, pop up performances, music, theatre, circus acts, film and so much more that SPARKcon has to offer. I love that they have an app for the I-phone I could find out what was going on at all times. I even saw some glow zumba and a strip of food trucks hanging out on the streets. Talk about celebrating the arts. Bravo Raleigh there must be a reason Women's Health magazine picked us as one of the top 5 up and coming cities for culture and art. Each year this festival gets better and better I can't wait to see what's in store for next year! read more

What an AMAZING event! I can't believe I've lived here for 3 years and finally just got to SPARKcon for the first time this weekend. There were so many sparks to check out, and more events than you could possibly attend. We saw some AMAZING chalk art in the street. I couldn't even believe what people were able to do with chalk! It was unbelievable. We heard some great live music, saw awesome exhibits, enjoyed food from local food trucks and celebrated Raleigh's artistic culture. What really stole the show for me though was the Circus Spark. There was actually a fire dancing show and a tribute to Prince in the same act. We saw some amazing tricks and talent, and got to jam out to Prince music at the same time. After the show, a huge 70s dance party erupted in the street. It was AMAZING. We were having so much fun, I can't remember the last time I was so genuinely disappointed for something to come to an end. Looking forward to SPARKcon again next year! read more

Absolutely amazing! This year was its 5th, and I think it must have been the biggest and best ever. So cool to see people out and about in downtown Raleigh celebrating the arts and local culture. There were 14 sparks and tons of events -- enough to merit an iPhone app! I was able to attend the kickoff ideaSPARK at King's which ended up being standing room only and was a great way to start the festival. I hated to miss Friday night's fashion show; but Saturday was full of festivities like the street painting sidewalk chalk contest and circusSPARK's aerial and fire conclave performances. By Sunday, the bazaar was winding down and there were fewer folks in attendance but there was still live music, food trucks and plenty of families with strollers and dogs enjoying the good weather and sights. To think that this all comes about with NO money and just grassroots volunteer efforts from all over the Triangle, well, it blows my mind. And it gives me warm fuzzies to live in an area that can support a festival such as this. read more

I have participated in this event (the bazaarSPARK component, featuring local artists and artisans) almost since its inception several years ago. Starting with its creation by design genius Ali Khalifa through its present planning by Visual Arts Exchange, this event has become a signature undertaking over a four-day weekend in Raleigh. From the fashion show, through street chalking, to events featuring the written word and other forms of expression, SPARKcon has proven itself dedicated to expression and invitation to everyone in the community. SPARKcon, and its components, has always focused on the creators, which is a departure from corporate-run art festivals elsewhere. read more

Very cool art walk in Raleigh. We stumbled upon it on the way to Marble Kids. It blocked traffic for a couple blocks and we stopped to see what it was all about. It was great seeing all the people making art. We participated in some of the exhibits. Kids saw some skateboard team practicing. They weren't amazing, but they had some moments. Pretty cool idea to liven up the downtown on the weekend. read more

While SPARKcon pales in comparison to its stepchild, Hopscotch Music Festival, it's a weekend of free downtown creative events. SPARKcon focuses on local creative endeavors, from fire twirling to crocheting. The ringmaster aka "Thunder" is the star of the show. He's the leader of the group that does the monthly Revolution dance parties at Lincoln Theater, and he is a local celebrity. It's pretty cool to see the fire pit in the center of downtown Raleigh (Hargett and Fayetteville), but honestly it is a bit of a melancholy experience when I start to think of how much fun I had the weekend prior at Hopscotch. The opening ceremony for SPARKcon was held at the Red Hat Amphitheater in 2012, and included the fashion show and some other performances. The highlight of SPARKcon might be the vendors and chalk art that lines Fayetteville Street on Saturday and Sunday. For some reason, the festival has experienced some bad luck with the weather in recent years. That means that the chalk art has needed to be covered with sheets of plastic. SPARKcon has been a big part of Raleigh's downtown revitalization and it should only get better as the city continues to grow. read more

A blast! Music, comedy, drama, art, poetry, film,etc. This is a goto event for the Raleigh area! There are hundreds of events going on in different areas of downtown Raleigh for the special sparkcon weekend. read more

SPARKcon - Festivals Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Thumbs up for trying to breathe some life into the moribund downtown area. The musical performers were awesome.