Who Won at the 2026 Pasadena Chalk Festival?

2026 Pasadena Chalk Festival (Photo – Brian Biery)

Under the trees at Brookside Park, families, art enthusiasts, and participating artists gathered around the colorful murals created for the Pasadena Chalk Festival near Kidspace Children’s Museum.

By News desk

The event transformed the pavement into a vibrant outdoor gallery, showcasing an impressive range of styles, techniques, and imaginative designs.

Festival artists selected the award recipients through peer voting. Honors recognized excellence in categories ranging from technical skill and color composition to humor, animation, three-dimensional design, and artistic interpretation.

2026 Pasadena Chalk Festival Winners

1- Best in Festival: 1st Place – Arlou Somo

Best in Festival: 1st Place – Arlou Somo (Photo Brian Biery)

2- Best in Festival: 2nd Place – Kayla Garcia

Best in Festival: 2nd Place – Kayla Garcia (Photo – Brian Biery)

3– Best in Festival: 3rd Place – Shuji Nishimura

Best in Festival: 3rd Place – Shuji Nishimura (Photo – Brian Biery)

4- On the Way to MOCA – Austin Robertson

On the Way to MOCA – Austin Robertson (Photo – Brian Biery)

5- Best New Artist – Jacob Ritchie

Best New Artist – Jacob Ritchie (Photo – Brian Biery)

6- Best Technique – Yuji Baba

Best Technique – Yuji Baba (Photo – Brian Biery)

7- Best 3-D Effect – Julio Jimenez

Best 3-D Effect – Julio Jimenez (Photo – Brian Biery)

8- Best Use of Color – Patricia Llovera

Best Use of Color – Patricia Llovera (Photo – Brian Biery)

9- Best Rendition of a Masterpiece – Lauren Ridenour

Best Rendition of a Masterpiece – Lauren Ridenour (Photo – Brian Biery)

10- Best in Animation – Karla Navarro

Best in Animation – Karla Navarro (Photo – Brian Biery)

11- Most Humorous – Alexandra Cleveland

Most Humorous – Alexandra Cleveland (Photo – Brian Biery)

12- Most Inspirational – Jacqui Somo

Most Inspirational – Jacqui Somo (Photo – Brian Biery)

13- Best at Silent Auction – Leo Aguirre

Best at Silent Auction – Leo Aguirre (Photo – Brian Briery)

The awards ceremony highlighted the dedication and resilience behind the festival’s temporary artworks. Artists spoke passionately about chalk art as a serious creative discipline, with one participant describing the specialized skill of chalk artists as a form of “Artistic Intelligence.” Others discussed how creating art had helped them work through challenging experiences and difficult periods in their lives.

The celebration also included a deeply personal moment. Festival veterans Randall Williams and Stacy Nalapraya announced their engagement in front of the audience. The couple first met at the festival 15 years ago, making their public declaration a memorable reflection of the lasting relationships the event has helped foster.

Although the festival has concluded, the murals remain on display at Brookside Park while weather conditions allow. Visitors are encouraged to see the artwork soon and experience the collection before sun, wind, and rain gradually erase these remarkable temporary creations.