Panoply Arts Festival is Huntsville's signature cultural event, held annually over three days in late April on the grounds of Big Spring Park. The festival presents a dense programme of live music across multiple stages, dance performances, visual art exhibitions, craft vendors, and a juried fine arts show. Attendance typically reaches 80,000 to 100,000 over the three days, making it one of the larger arts festivals in the South.
The setting in Big Spring Park works well — the spring lake and open lawn give the festival room to spread without becoming chaotic. Food vendors ring the perimeter. The mix of performance genres runs from jazz and folk to world music and contemporary classical, and the visual art show tends to attract strong regional artists. Admission is charged for the full festival; some daytime sessions are free. If you are anywhere near Huntsville in late April, Panoply is worth building a trip around.