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CHALK AND SEPTEMBER? Talk about a decades-old duo that still has staying power. Even if a classroom has retired its traditional chalk, you can still find illustrations of the timeless writing implements next to apples and fall leaves, and for fine reason: Chalk has long been synonymous with school, making it a symbol of September. But in Ventura Harbor Village, colorful chalk sticks stand for something different as summer winds down: A sizable chalk festival, one that welcomes a few dozen madonnari. That’s the traditional name for those artists who use the concrete below our feet for their canvases, and to watch them work is to enter a whimsical world of imagination, trompe l’oeil techniques, and impressionistic portraits.

SEPT. 13 AND 14: If you’ve been longing to “chalk up” such a festival and add it to your gotta-see-it list, be cheered: The 2025 Ventura Art & Chalk Festival is upping the whimsy near the water over the middle part of September. No ticket is required, nor fee, so that is sweet; simply stop by Ventura Harbor Village and marvel as on-the-ground artists make here-today-gone-too-soon artworks. Greg Wray, an artist who has worked with SEGA, will be making a marvelous mural (and is indeed the featured artist), while an Artisan Marketplace will serve as a central hub. And the Kids’ Creativity Zone? That will give aspiring madonnari the opportunity to dream up their own chalk masterpieces. California is home to a few cheery chalk-themed gatherings, and Ventura Harbor Village has long been one of the eye-catching favorites. Discover more now.

Source: NBC Bay Area