During the first weekend in May, main street Mount Vernon is transformed into a jam packed rainbow of artistry. Artists of all ages are assigned one of the 150 8 X 10 spaces on the concrete canvas. Regardless of skill level, everyone’s medium of choice is chalk. The festival draws thousands of on lookers and artists, who have the ability to participate in the large community mural (see 2019 example above).

The festival is celebrating its 18th year (after canceling in 2020 due to the pandemic), but has roots in an original art form that began in Italy in the 16th century, called Madonnari. This form of public art was originally done by street artists hoping to collect coins from passersby. Images back then were based on religious themes, and as the Madonna was a popular subject, the artists became known as the “Madonnari.”