Treat yourself to a colorful trek through temporary art when Downtown SLO’s inaugural Paint the Plaza comes to the SLO Mission Plaza and the Broad Street dogleg (between Palm and Monterey Streets) on Saturday, Sept.19, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to Downtown SLO, the event is “a community chalk art festival celebrating the Central Coast arts scene. Mission Plaza will be transformed into a vibrant, colorful art space for the community to enjoy. This inclusive community-centered chalk art festival is a celebration that will showcase the vibrant artist community that runs deep on the Central Coast, bringing together professional artists, local businesses, and families in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo. The public is invited to spend the day downtown and watch as Mission Plaza is transformed into a chalk art canvas.”
While unconnected, the event is similar to SLO’s old I Madonnari Street Painting Festival started by the Children’s Creative Project. I Madonnari continues to this day annually in Santa Barbara.
The chalk artwork will remain in Mission Plaza through Sunday, Sept. 20, so if you can’t make it Saturday, stop by Sunday before all that creativity is washed away. For more information, visit downtownslo.com/events/paint-the-plaza. ∆
This article appears in Sept 17-24, 2026.
