The Naperville Art League (NAL) is once again transforming Jackson Avenue into an open-air gallery as the 2026 Riverwalk Fine Art Fair takes over downtown Naperville on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19-20, from 10AM to 5PM both days. This year’s fair adds a new dimension to the weekend: the DuPage Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will perform live at the Free Speech Pavilion throughout the day on Saturday.
One of the Best Art Fairs in the Nation
The Riverwalk Fine Art Fair got its start 41 years ago, when NAL partnered with local organizations to launch the inaugural event with a reenactment of Georges Seurat’s painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” along the Naperville Riverwalk. The debut fair was such a success that it earned international recognition through the AP wire service. Today, it’s regarded as one of the best art fairs in the country, drawing artists working in mediums ranging from painting and photography to glass, ceramics, jewelry, wood and metal sculpture.
What to Expect Along Jackson Avenue
Artists will display and sell original work along Jackson Avenue both days of the fair, rain or shine, from 10AM to 5PM. Visitors can browse booths featuring dozens of exhibiting artists, many of whom have been recognized with awards in past years for categories including Best of Show, Awards of Excellence and Merit Awards.
Parking is available in the Hotel Indigo parking lot (4th and 5th floors), as well as parking garages on Van Buren Street, Chicago Avenue and the Main Street parking lots.
DuPage Symphony Orchestra Joins the Fair
New this year, the Naperville Art League is welcoming the DuPage Symphony Orchestra to the Riverwalk Fine Art Fair. The DSO, a Naperville-based orchestra now entering its 73rd season under Music Director and Conductor Barbara Schubert, will perform at the Free Speech Pavilion throughout the day between 10:30AM to 4:30PM on Saturday, Sept. 20. The performances add a live-music backdrop to the weekend as fairgoers stroll between artist booths along the Riverwalk.
About the Naperville Art League
Naperville Art League is a 501(c)3 nonprofit volunteer organization with more than 200 artist and art enthusiast members. Its mission is to provide art instruction and education, encourage interest in all forms of creative art, and build understanding and appreciation of art throughout the community.
Beyond the annual fair, NAL is active year-round. In 1984, the League commissioned one of the first sculptures in town — the 15-foot-high red sculpture “Landforms” by artist Jack Arnold, located just west of Eagle Street along the Riverwalk. NAL is also behind the “World’s Greatest Artists” mural on the exterior of the Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery, part of Naperville’s Century Walk public art collection. Designed by Mike Venezia and painted by Marianne Lisson Kuhn, the 67-foot-wide, 12-foot-tall mural depicts 32 famous artists alongside two local artists.
Art Classes, Gallery Shows, and More
The Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery at 508 N. Center St. serves as a year-round community resource for classes, exhibits and auctions. Each month brings new gallery shows featuring the work of member artists, and NAL also stages an annual public art competition open to community submissions. Class schedules covering a variety of media and skill levels are available at napervilleartleague.com.
How to Get Involved
Those interested in joining the Naperville Art League can visit napervilleartleague.com, stop by the Naperville Fine Art Center & Gallery at 508 N. Center St., or call (630) 355-2530. A full list of this year’s exhibiting artists, along with event details, is available on the League’s Riverwalk Fine Art Fair page…