Art in the Park Celebrates Two Decades With 40 Featured Artists

On March 15, 2026, Art in the Park is celebrating its 20th anniversary. At two decades old, the outdoor art fair has reached the age of a full-grown adult—a lifespan that mirrors the growth of the very community it serves. For those of us who have followed its journey, the event has matured alongside our own tastes.

I began covering the fair in the late 2010s, but my memories of its presence at Salcedo Park stretch back even further to its early editions in the late 2000s, having gone with old friends from college. Over the years, I've watched the event expand its reach and refine its offerings, growing from a small local gathering to a much-awaited art event that has seen crowds of around 15,000 people and displays by up to 60 exhibitors.

For co-founder Lisa Periquet, looking back on 20 years evokes a mix of pride and humor regarding how much has changed since the days of mud and rain. Art in the Park, after all, started out as a second-anniversary add-on of Salcedo Market in June of 2006.

An entry on MarketManila(dot)com announced back then, all in the unmistakably dated blog layout of the 2000s: "Don’t forget to get up early and head over to the 2nd anniversary of the Salcedo Market tomorrow, Saturday, 17th of June 2006. In addition to a bustling market, Art in the Park will be offering spectacular original artwork at affordable price points."

Those early editions, according to Periquet, were at the mercy of unpredictable Philippine weather. "We had this guy playing the saxophone while the rain was pouring down on us. Very memorable and depressing. But you go with the flow," she tells us during Art in the Park's pre-event presser at Pablo Bistro on February 27, 2026.

By Art in the Park's third edition in 2010, the schedule was moved to the first half of the year to avoid the wet season, February (incidentally, the National Arts Month), March, or April.

"I think the fact that it lasted 20 years...it was something really to champion," Periquet reflects. "Because things can fall apart, you know? But the fact that we persisted is kind of nice. We did our best."

True to its founding principle, Art in the Park remains a democratic space with affordable pieces, at least compared to its younger sister event, Art Fair Philippines. Admission is free, and all the artworks' prices are capped at P70,000. Twenty years ago, it was P20,000. As always, proceeds from every sale go directly to the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, supporting their projects and initiatives in preserving and promoting the nation’s cultural and historical heritage.

In honor of the 20th anniversary, the fair is offering a rare chance to acquire works from past headliners, including Bjorn Calleja, Carlo Tanseco, Demi Padua, Jomike Tejido, Marina Cruz, Anna Bautista, AR Manalo, Charlie Co, Manny Garibay, Pepe Delfin, TRNZ, Clarence Chun, Pam Yan-Santos, John Santos III, Lynyrd Paras, Yvonne Quisumbing, Zean Cabangis, Maxine Syjuco, Richard Quebral, Robert Alejandro, Rodel Tapaya, Willie De Vera, Beth Parrocha, Eugene Jarque, Lydia Velasco, Yeo Kaa, Dex Fernandez, Pete Jimenez, Jacob Lindo, Mac Valdezco, Distort Monsters, Leeroy New, Nasser Lubay, Isaiah Cacnio, and Ayka Go.

For Go, it's a "full circle" moment. "I started in 2015, just being invited to a gallery," she tells Esquire Philippines in a quick interview, recalling her early days at Art in the Park with galleries like Tin-aw and Finale. "I never expected that I would be featured. I was happy just to be included in the group shows. To be featured, it’s like, 'Wow, really?'"

They have 40 artists for the special exhibition, according to Periquet. Their commissioned pieces for Art in the Park will be for sale on a first-come, first-served basis. Prints of their new artworks, as pictured in the main image of this article, will also be up for grabs.

The lineup of exhibitors includes Ang INK, Archivo 1984, Art Agenda, Art for Space, ART LAB: Atelier Cesare & Jean Marie Syjuco, Art Toys PH, Art Underground, Art Verité Gallery, ArtBeat Collective, Avellana Art Gallery, Boston Art Gallery, Cartellino Art, Cornerstone Pottery (EJ Espiritu), Crucible Gallery, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, FA Collective, Fuse Projects, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Stephanie, ILCP Art Space, iStorya Studios, J Studio, Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn, KASIBULAN, Komiket, Kulay Art Group, Kunstwerk Painting Works, L'arc en Ciel, M A G, NEST Gallery, Nineveh Artspace, Obras Ongpin, Orange Project, Pintô Art Museum and Arboretum, Qube Gallery, Resurrection Furniture, Sheerjoy Collective, Sierra Madre Gallery (Joey De Castro), Silahis Arts and Artifacts (formerly Galeria de las Islas), Space Encounters Gallery, Super Duper Gallery, The Authenticity Zero Collective, The METRO Gallery, The Mighty Bhutens, The Photography Collective, The Thursday Group, Tin-Aw Art Projects, UP Artists' Circle, Urban Sketchers Manila, VeryGood Gallery, Village Art Gallery, Vinyl on Vinyl, and White Walls Gallery.

The organizers are also launching a book that looks back at the two decades. It has essays by the founders, photographs from previous Art in the Park, and even a blank page at the end for regulars to write or even doodle about their own memories of the outdoor fair.

Despite the massive scale and the many changes in the layout of Salcedo Park, the organizers refuse to leave its homecourt.

"The same-ness and semi-predictability of the event is what makes it unique," Periquet explains. "We refuse to [change venues] because we try to keep the community aspect."

She added that managing the fair has been possible through their long-standing partnerships with Makati Central Estate Association (MACEA) and Barangay Bel Air. "People don't realize that a huge part of this is all of the relationships you manage... it takes a village."

As the fair enters its third decade, the goal remains as simple as it was in 2006. In Periquet’s words: "Look around. Make new friends. Love the atmosphere. See what people are bringing. And you know, just see works from the artists."

Art in the Park 2026 is on March 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Jaime Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, Makati. For those looking to start their collection, BPI Credit Cardholders can avail of Flexipay (zero interest installments for up to six months).

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