The Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF) is back for its fifth year. The month-long event offers 200+ activities, some of which cost money, but many are free. Festivities include art installations, Broadway shows, music, dance performances and more. This year marks the festival’s first expansion to The Iron District, home to Blume Studios, an indoor immersive entertainment venue.

“The more the festival has grown, the more its reach has grown to be all over the place,” said Tom Gabbard, CEO of Blumenthal Arts. “The intention with the festival is to make the arts available to everybody.”

During the festival’s kick-off party last Friday, Gabbard highlighted some events, including a giant papier-mache puppet parade and works from the 2025 Blumenthal Fellows, a selection of local arti

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