Schedule and programming

Sketcher Fest is an event open to all, including non-sketchers, aiming to celebrate art, travel and the practice of documenting people, places and culture in sketchbooks. Here’s what we have in store for you.

Friday Opening Reception

Join us at Graphite Arts Center for the kickoff of the first-ever travel sketchbooks festival in North America. The opening reception will include welcoming remarks by Sketcher Press publisher Gabriel Campanario and a talk on the topic of travel sketching by Portuguese artist, author and educator Mário Linhares. Following the talk, visit an exhibit of sketches at Graphite Gallery; then warm up sketching around an ARTspot pop-up show with fellow urban sketchers and invited artists. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from food trucks parked around corner and from Charcoal Restaurant, which is connected to the Graphite space.

Saturday Morning and Afternoon Workshops

Take your observational drawing skills to the next level attending one or two Sketcher Fest workshops. You can choose from five workshops offered in the morning and five in the afternoon. Workshops will take place 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.

Saturday Drink & Draw at Graphite

Let’s gather back at Graphite to celebrate a full day of sketching around Edmonds and share our trove of sketches. Charcoal Restaurant will set up a no-host bar.

Sunday Sketchbook Fest and Art Market at the Edmonds Waterfront Center

Come down to the beautiful Edmonds Waterfront Center to meet and greet invited artists and see their original sketchbooks. Books, prints and art supplies will be available for sale. There’s never been an event like this in the United States. Think of it as the Comic-Con of urban sketchers. You’ll leave the event full of inspiration and all the materials you need for your own travel sketching adventures.

Sunday Sketch Walks

Come draw with us alongside the scenic Edmonds waterfront — no previous sketching experience is required, only a pen or pencil and a sketchbook. These free outdoor sketching activities will be led by members of the local urban sketching community. We’ll gather in front of the Edmonds Waterfront Center, sketch for two hours and meet back for a collective sketchbook “throw-down” and a group photo. During a sketchbook throw-down, sketchers lay down their sketchbooks on the ground for everyone to see.

Sunday Closing Reception at the Edmonds Waterfront Center

Don’t miss one more opportunity to connect with fellow sketchers and exchange drawing tips before heading home. The closing reception at the Edmonds Waterfront Center will be a catered hors d’oeuvres event with a no-host bar. The magnificent views overlooking Puget Sound as the sun comes down will be perfect for one last drawing on your sketchbook.