FAQs

Chalk the Block is a FREE public art festival.

Parking is available at several garages in downtown El Paso, or you can park at Glory Road and ride the BRIO or El Paso Streetcar. Please visit the Event Details page for a list of the parking garages near the festival footprint.

Food Trucks will stop taking orders 15 minutes prior to closing time each night. Festival security will close the gates in the Food Truck Court to aid in closing time. Artisan vendors will wrap up sales 15 minutes prior to closing time as well.

Food truck vendors will be there all three days of the festival. The artisan and food cottage vendors will be there on Saturday and Sunday.

Many of the vendors will accept credit card payments. There are also several ATMs located in or near the footprint as well.

No, alcohol is not sold or permitted in the festival footprint. There are bars within the festival footprint and just outside the footprint where visitors 21 and older may purchase alcohol.

In addition to our chalk art competition, art installations, vendors, and music stages, the public is welcome to create their own chalk masterpieces on the street. The Museum of Art and Museum of History will be open during the festival hours and will feature special programming, and the Museum of Archaeology and Mexican American Cultural Center teams will also provide programming in the festival footprint. La Nube STEAM Discovery Center will also be open for regular hours during Chalk the Block with free activations outside; please note that La Nube is a ticketed facility and tickets may sell out quickly.

Yes, Chalk the Block is located in the Downtown Arts District. There are curb cuts on the sidewalks and the museums and libraries in the footprint are accessible. There are also accessible portable restrooms in the footprint. Please be aware that more than 40,000 people visit the festival throughout the weekend so the streets and sidewalks may be crowded. We also ask that the chalk art not be disturbed.

Changing tables are located inside the Museums.

There are no reserved spaces for the public. You are welcome to chalk on the sidewalks and in the community Chalk Zone. No chalk zones are in San Jacinto Plaza, Cleveland Square Park, the Mexican American Cultural Center, a marked area outside of La Nube, and in a spot that has been marked off for artists competing in the chalk competition. Please observe “No Chalk Zone” signs located within the footprint. Staff and security reserve the right to ask you to stop chalking in spaces that are not permitted.

Visitors can chalk in the designated community chalk area, the blacktop, and some sidewalks. There will be signs designating areas where chalk is prohibited. These include, but are not limited to, San Jacinto Plaza, Cleveland Square Park, the Mexican American Cultural Center, and a marked area outside of La Nube. Please observe the “No Chalk Zone” signs.

Yes, the public is invited to bring their own sidewalk chalk. Free chalk is available at the MCAD Information tent while supplies last. Spray chalk, oil pastels, permanent marker, and paint are prohibited.

Yes, well-behaved dogs and their humans are welcome at CTB. Dogs should not be allowed to walk on chalk art or leave their waste on the street. All dogs must be leashed while at the festival.

In 2024, we launched a new award category for the chalk art competition. Attendees and community members will be able to vote for their favorite piece via an online form. Instructions will be provided on signage at the Pedestrian Pathway where the competition takes place, along with posts on the Raiz Federal Credit Union social media pages. The artist with the most votes will receive a savings certificate from Raiz in a special awards ceremony on Sunday.