FAQ

What is Sketcher Fest?

Sketcher Fest is the premier festival of travel sketchbooks in North America. It brings together urban sketchers, travel sketchbook artists, art vendors, publishers and the general public during a weekend of workshops, exhibits and sketching activities in Edmonds, Washington, a city north of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The first event of its kind outside of Europe, Sketcher Fest blends the learning spirit of the Urban Sketchers Symposia with the festival atmosphere of the popular Carnet de Voyage events in France. The goal of Sketcher Fest is to celebrate art, travel and the practice of documenting people, places and culture in sketchbooks.

When is Sketcher Fest?

The third edition of Sketcher Fest will be July 19-20, 2025. Please, sign up for our mailing list to receive updates.

What can I do at Sketcher Fest?

Visit the Sketchbook Fair & Art Market at the Edmonds Waterfront Center, where you will be able to meet exhibiting travel sketchers, listen to presentations and see their original sketchbooks. Prints, postcards, books and sketching supplies will be available for sale at the event’s marketplace.

Participate in outdoor sketching workshops. Learn sketching techniques from accomplished urban sketchers with years of experience capturing the world in their sketchbooks. Workshops are limited to 15 participants.

How do I sign up to attend Sketcher Fest?

Our festival encompasses different events. Each ticket is purchased a la carte to offer you a flexible experience.

Ticket sales FAQ

Where do I purchase Sketcher Fest tickets? Here on our website at sketcherfest.com.

When do tickets for Sketcher Fest 2025 go on sale? Tickets will go on sale in early spring.

How will I receive my tickets? Tickets are sent out automatically via email after you place your order. Please allow a few minutes until they reach your inbox. Not in your inbox? Please check your spam folder.

What if I accidentally delete my tickets from my email? If you happen to misplace your tickets, email us at info@sketcherfest.com and provide your name and email so we can track down your order and resend them.

Do I need to create an account on the Sketcher Fest website to purchase tickets? It is not necessary to create an account on our website to purchase tickets, but we strongly encourage you to do so. Having an account will allow you to access your tickets any time from your account dashboard, and you can save your billing and payment method information.

I created an account but can’t log in. What should I do? If you can’t log in to the account you created, click on “Lost my password” to request a password reset.

If I purchased tickets but can’t attend, could I get a refund? Sketcher Fest tickets are not refundable. However, they can be transferred to someone else simply by giving them your QR-enabled ticket. We consider refunds under special circumstances.

Will I need to print my tickets to check into the event I purchased? At the time of your event in July, a Sketcher Fest volunteer will scan your QR-enabled ticket. Please have it ready on your phone screen or as a printout.

Is there a hub for Sketcher Fest?

Graphite Arts Center is the event hub on Saturday. The Edmonds Waterfront Center is the venue for the Sketchbook Fest and Art Market.

Workshops and programming

Where will the sketching workshops be?

Each workshop will take place at a location within walking distance from Graphite. Some will be in the downtown business district, others will be along the waterfront. Workshop attendees will meet their instructors at Graphite and walk as a group to their sketching location.

How many people can take a workshop?

Each workshop is limited to 15 participants.

What is the Sketchbook Fair and Art Market?

Think of this Sketcher Fest event as the Comic-Con of travel sketchbook artists. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Edmonds Waterfront Center, you can meet and greet artists exhibiting their travel sketchbooks at individual stands specially set up for the occasion. Books, prints and all the art supplies you may need for your own travel sketching will be available for sale.

Travel and transportation

Where can I park in Edmonds?

Parking in the downtown Edmonds core is free but limited to 3 hours. It’s not uncommon for visitors driving to attend events in Edmonds to park a few blocks away from downtown and walk the rest of the way. For more parking information, visit the Downtown Edmonds Alliance website.

I’m coming from out of town. Do you have advice on where to stay in Edmonds?

The city’s tourism website has a list of places to stay, including the Best Western Plus Harbor Inn, which is within walking distance of Graphite Arts Center and the waterfront.

Is there public transportation to Edmonds?

It’s possible but neither easy nor fast to get to Edmonds by public transportation from Seattle, especially on weekends. The best option is to take light rail from Seattle to Mountlake Terrace and then hop on bus to Edmonds.