First Fridays! Third Wednesdays. Fourth Thursdays! First Saturdays. Gallery Hops. Art Walk. Art and Gallery Strolls.

Whatever they're called... and whenever they are held, this growing phenomenom is a great way to discover art and artists in your community... or in your travels... and enjoy meeting like-minded hoppers, walkers or strollers. Multiply the number of galleries times free beverages and hors d'oeuvres... and you also have a very good substitute for a light meal.

To give you an idea of what they are like, we've given you a tiny sampling of the1,000's of First Friday (or 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th Thursday) Art Hops around the country in communitys of every size.

To find a First Friday or a Thurday Art Walk or Gallery Hop in your area, just go to Google and search on "first+Friday gallery walk " or "Thursday art walk" (or combinations thereof) and the name of your town or city.

Arizona

Phoenix's ArtLink's First Fridays

Scottsdale's Thursday Art Gallery Walks Take place every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. Here's a sampling of a special annual Scottsdale art walk that takes place prior to the TacosBowl game "... Dozens of the Southwest's greatest art galleries will be abuzz as they keep their doors open late hosting gallery show openings, artist receptions and demonstrations.... there will be live musical performances featuring the amazing African drum group of Lady Bee, Keith Johnson & SanKofa, the jazzy vocals of Mackenzie Road, acoustic rocker Daniel Salcido and the smooth holiday sounds of Gradymusic .... Free food samples from area restaurants... will be another tasty attraction, as will awesome prize giveaways .... "

California

Laguna Beach's First Thursday Art Walk Free shuttle service runs from Laguna Art Museum from 6:15 to 9:15

Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk Held on the 2nd Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. See also Brewery Art Walk... the twice annual open studio walk of the "world's largest art colony" "Over 100 artists, free admission... great food"

Palo Alto First Friday Art Walk

Riverside Arts Walk on First Thursdays "... presents over twenty participating arts venues—art museums, galleries, and studios—open free to the public every month. These participating locations present an eclectic mix of visual art mediums and styles, in addition to special art/musical performances, exhibitions, tours, and art-making demonstrations. Local restaurants and retail establishments along the Arts Walk also offer special menus and discounts."

Sacramento's Second Saturday Art Walk

Salinas' First Fridays "... Everyone is invited to participate in this exciting monthly event showcasing the talents of local artists while promoting arts and culture in Oldtown Salinas.  Stroll through the historic downtown area and enjoy fine art, light refreshments and wine tasting..... galleries and businesses displaying art are hosting receptions from 5 pm to 8 pm; featuring food and live music, as well as ‘open house’ formats in businesses that are not displaying the work of local artists."

Sausalito Art Walk Second Wednesdays.

Colorado

Denver's Sante Fe Art District's First Friday Art Walk

Florida

Jacksonville's First Wednesday Art Walk

Georgia

Atlanta's Turner First Thursdays "... art lovers can view the arts, tour the historic districts of Downtown and enjoy various discounts at Downtown restaurants..." 5 to 8 p.m.

Illinois

Chicago Arts District 2nd Fridays

List of Chicago Galleries and schedule of openings.   Opening celebrations of new exhibits usually take place on Friday evenings. 5-8 p.m. All events are free.... and typically feature refreshments and a chance to mingle with other art aficionados.

First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art Just $10 per person in advance, $14 at the door.

"At First Fridays, visitors can unwind after work and enjoy an intriguing mix of culture, ranging from live music and performance art to experimental films and hands-on art stations. First Fridays also hosts the opening night events for 12 x 12: New Artists/New Work , a series of monthly exhibitions featuring emerging Chicago artists.

"First Fridays tickets, which include museum admission, live entertainment, and complimentary Wolfgang Puck hors d'oeuvres, are $14 ($7 for MCA members). Tickets are available the evening of the event. Doors are open from 6-10 pm. A cash bar is available until 9:30 pm. Guests must be 21 or older to enter ."

"Advance tickets are now available for $10 ($7 MCA members). Please call the MCA Box Office at 312.397.4010 or visit TicketWeb ."

Iowa

Fairfield's Artlife Society First Fridays Art Walk

Kentucky

Louiseville's 1st Friday Gallery Hop "... visit the community's Art Zone, a concentrated area where visual arts are flourishing. Hop on a free TARC trolley the first Friday of every month.... You'll visit participating galleries and be their guest for artist openings, socializing, refreshments and more... There is no cost to participate, you can start at any location, the trolleys run every 15 minutes!

Maine

Portland's First Friday Art Walk

Missouri

Kansas City's Crossroads First Fridays

Kansas City's Third Friday 39th Street Art Walk "... Every third Friday from 6 – 10pm the merchants of 39th Street open their doors to local and regional painters, photographers, sculptures, printmakers, artists, musicians, belly-dancers, fire twirlers, roller-derby girls, motorcycle enthusiasts, and – of course – to you the lover of the arts."

Nevada

Las Vegas First Friday "... is an ongoing monthly arts, entertainment and social event that is held on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 10 pm with after parties at a few locations going on until the wee hours... Visual and performing art of all kinds is featured throughout the area. Many locations have scheduled art shows and music, but visual and performing artists of all types have other opportunities as well."

New Mexico

Albuquerque's Artscrawl's First Fridays

New York

Ballston Spa's First Fridays

North Carolina

Chapel Hill Second Friday Art Walk

Ohio

Cleveland's Tremont Art Walk ".…is held on the 2nd Friday of each month, between 6 PM and 10 PM. Many galleries and studios that normally keep restricted hours are open for ArtWalk. There is usually music or other performance art."

Oregon

Ashland's First Fridays

Portland's Central Eastside Art District's First Fridays "... First Friday will continue to be a monthly happening distinguished by engaging and challenging art, and the best music, food and libations Portland has to offer...."

Portland's Art Dealers Association's First Thursdays.

Portland's Art on Alberta's Last Thursdays.

Pennsylvania

Bethlehem's First Friday

Philadelphia's Old City's First Fridays are followed by First Saturdays. "... brings together city dwellers and suburbanites, contemporary arts and antique collectors, aficionados of classical and contemporary design, and theater and performance buffs.... with dozens of galleries and cultural organizations of Old City hosting receptions and exhibition openings.... on-street parking meter regulations in Old City are suspended by the City of Philadelphia after 5pm during First Fridays ... 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM"

Vermont

Brattleboro's First Friday Gallery Walks

Virginia

Richmond's First Fridays Art Walk "... an array of art, such as painting, contemporary crafts, installations, photography, sculpture, or African art. Strolling musicians, fire spinners, DJ’s, and stilt walkers may make you look twice.... "

Winchester's First Fridays

Washington

Edmond's Third Thursday Art Walk

Seattle's First Thursday Art Walk "... Caravans of schmoozing crowds wander from one historic brick building to the next, stopping to chat in Occidental Square's courtyard or to grab a drink at sidewalk pubs and cafes. On pleasant evenings you might find a live jazz trio setting the mood, sidewalk artists and street vendors vying for your attention, and single people looking for the right line to start a conversation. Go for the fun, but come back to concentrate; the party ambience makes it tough to really take in the art." See also Pioneer Square's website.

Seattle's Ballard Neighborhood's First Saturday Art Walk

Seattle's First Thursday Art Walk

Wisconsin

Hudson's First Fridays

Racine's First Fridays

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