Spring is when Mother Nature unsheathes her paintbrush and brightens up the blank canvas of winter with brilliant bluebonnets, lush green hills, and radiant redbud trees. As all great art inspires, it should come as no surprise that San Marcos’ peak season for arts and culture is *unnecessarily long drumroll* the spring!

From beret to toe, San Marcos’ spring season is packed with artsy events and attractions that can turn any boring weekend into a truly unique mini vacation. With studio tours of local artists, regular art markets, live music around every corner, and a one-of-a-kind festival, San Marcos puts out enough artistic energy to make the Louvre blush.

Before the drummer gets back and tries to build anticipation again, let’s help plan your spring getaway to San Marcos with our guide to all things arts and culture!

 

Tour San Marcos’ Open-Air Art Gallery

San Marcos’ art scene is so vibrant, you can practically see the glow from Dallas and Houston. As you stroll around the walkable city center, you’ll discover public art is as much a part of the city’s cultural fabric as its coffee shops and craft breweries. Throughout town, local artists have put their creative spin on seven-foot-tall mermaid statues that make up the Mermaid March installation. Searching for them is like going on a treasure hunt!

San Marcos’ creatives have also spread joy with more than 60 murals. They run the gamut from Instagram-worthy whole wall murals to the adorable “Cupig” mural of a bow-and-arrow-toting oinker in Kissing Alley. Keep your eyes peeled for whimsical little paintings where you least expect them, too. A swimming merpig or a trumpet-playing squirrel may be right around the corner.

 

Head to the Art Squared Arts Market

As March rolls around, it’s time for art collectors to put San Marcos on the radar. The Art Squared Arts Market highlights the work of regional artists and craftspeople on the second Saturday of the month from March through December. You’ll find dozens of booths with juried art and fine crafts around the historic Downtown Square. Maybe there’s something in the water because the creativity, workmanship, and variety of artwork you’ll find is in a class all its own.

 

See Where Creativity Becomes Creation

Are you interested in getting a sneak peek behind the scenes? The first two weekends of April are all about visiting local creative spaces during the San Marcos Studio Tour. Whether the studio appears like a tornado touched down or everything is neatly in its place, the tours allow you to not only see where creativity becomes creation but also meet more than 80 area artists and learn about their work.

Head to the MotherShip warehouse galleries for opening night festivities with live music, craft brews, and art demos. Then explore studios throughout San Marcos and the surrounding area on a self-guided tour the rest of the weekend, as well as the following Saturday and Sunday.

 

Enjoy the Art of Live Music and Cinema

Beyond the visual art on display throughout San Marcos, you’ll find live music by local musicians, stand-up comedy, and theater. Movie buffs will want to take a mid-week road trip for the First Tuesday Film Series that’s held at The Price Center. The multi-use center is an art gallery with rotating exhibits, a performing arts venue, and a community cultural center all under one roof. The monthly event opens with free pizza and craft beer — yay! — followed by an indie, foreign, or classic film on the big screen. A question-and-answer session with someone involved in making the film or an expert in the field follows the screening.

 

Celebrate the Environment, the Arts, and San Marcos’ Heritage

Nothing epitomizes San Marcos’ colorful history of the Aquamaids, its commitment to the environment, and its support of the arts better than the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest. The festival, held annually in mid-May, allows residents and visitors to let their hair down at one of the quirkiest annual celebrations in Texas. The event kicks off with a parade of imaginative floats, merfolk in elaborate costumes, dancers, and marching bands. It is a feast for the eyes!

The festivities continue with live music, an art and fine crafts fair, and food-truck fare. Whether you’re a spectator or have a sequined fish tail and shell bikini top you’re dying to put on, head to the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest for a whale of a good time!

 

Plan Your Visit

Already imagining you and your friends posing for a photo in front of the legendary “Cupig”? Can you feel the cold beer in your hand as you fall under the spell of a cinematic masterwork? Have you picked out the perfect spot on your wall for that conversation piece you’re going to pick up at Art Squared?

Just like with art, it’s time to turn your imagination into reality by booking a stay at one of San Marcos’ super-cozy hotels! Can overnight accommodations be an art form? We’re inclined to think so.