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The 39th annual Houston Art Car Festival and Parade may very well be the most colorful and creative event anyone will see in 2026. It will begin on April 9 and will go through April 12.
The Houston Art Car Parade is the world’s largest collection of Art Cars and the largest public art event in Houston. The parade will have over 250 Art Cars with entries from 23 states plus Mexico and Canada. An audience of over 300,000 spectators will be eager to see the wild and weird vehicles.
And what, you might ask, is an Art Car? Art Cars, aka Art Mobiles, are usually used or older vehicles. The owner decides to transform the exterior and possibly the interior. And the results are very interesting, to say the least. From cars covered in glitter and feathers to trucks transformed into giant, fire breathing dragons, this parade is always a feast for the eyes.
The Houston Art Car Parade will be happening on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The parade route opens to the public at 11 am. The parade starts rolling at 2 pm and lasts about two hours. The parade is free and open to the public. Reserved Grandstand Seats are available for purchase.
There will be an Awards Ceremony and over $16,000 will be given to Art Car artists and groups. The cars are judged on their creativity, artistic techniques and inspiration.
The Houston Art Car Parade is the largest celebration of its kind in the world. The mobile masterpieces are created by artists, students, youth groups, families, organizations and anyone with creativity.
So come visit Houston and see sights you’ve never seen before. I guarantee the parade is something you’ll remember for years to come.
Houston Barbecue
Texas barbecue is rich in history as well as flavor. A trip to Houston should include tastes of Houston barbecue. But where would the best place for this be? The following restaurants were chosen as the best 10 barbecue restaurants in Houston by the users of TripAdvisor.
- Pinkerton Barbecue
- The Pit Room
- Rudy’s
- Goode Company BBQ
- Gatlin’s BBQ
- The Brisket House
- Hickory House
- Ray’s BBQ Shack
- Truth BBQ
- Lulling City Market
Houston Hotels
If you’d like to visit Houston for the Art Car Festival, here are some of the best deals that you can book for under $100 a night.