Lakeland to Host Color Wave Walls Mural Festival
The city will welcome eleven artists for a two-week event starting in November.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Cultural
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Lakeland will host the Color Wave Walls mural festival from November 4-18, 2026. Eleven artists are set to transform the downtown area by creating building-size murals.
Why it matters
The festival serves as a platform for public art, inviting eleven artists to produce large-scale works that will change the visual landscape of the city.
The festival features 11 artists creating building-size installations over a two-week duration. The total number of murals to be completed by the end of the event has not been finalized.
The players
Gillian Fazio
She is an organizer and planner for the upcoming Color Wave Walls festival.
Katerina Santos
She serves as a planner and organizer for the Color Wave Walls mural festival.
The details
Eleven artists will descend upon downtown Lakeland to create large-scale murals on local buildings throughout the two-week event. Planning for the festival was spearheaded by Gillian Fazio and Katerina Santos.
Timeline
November 4-18, 2026: The Color Wave Walls festival takes place.
Industry Dynamics
The festival follows the broader movement of using temporary, artist-led events to revitalize downtown commercial districts. This initiative positions the city within a growing network of metropolitan areas leveraging large-scale public art to increase tourism.
Residents and visitors can expect downtown pedestrian traffic to increase while the artists actively work on their building-size murals. The public will have direct access to view the installations in progress throughout the two-week timeframe.
The takeaway
Large-scale public art festivals can significantly shift the visual identity of a city over a short period. Residents should plan for potential downtown sidewalk activity and viewings throughout the mid-November event window.
Further reading
Learn more about local arts and events in the Lakeland Cultural section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Ledger.
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