CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Marina Arts District will get five new murals for residents to enjoy from artists across the country, thanks to Mural Fest, which is in its second year in the city.
Eric Karbeling, an artist from Honolulu, joined 3NEWS First Edition on Tuesday to talk about the Tejano-inspired mural he is working on for the festival this weekend.
"When I was selected to be part of it I was given kind of the starting point of wanting to do something music based, and after learning about the history here, it kind of just came together," Karbeling said. "Learning about the different influences, the different types of music, Tejano music especially. I think the accordion doesn't get the love it deserves so I had to make it really, really big."
That is just one of five large-scale murals that will go up for the weekend festival which begins on Friday, June 2 and runs until Saturday, June 3. While you're there, stop by vendor booths and check out some local artists' work as well.
On Friday, the festival will take place during First Friday ArtWalk from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. There will be ArtWalk block parties on Lomax, Chaparral, Peoples, and Starr Streets, and ArtWalk park parties at La Retama and Artesian Parks.
There will be over 100 pop-up vendors, local food trucks, and live music on the streets and inside select businesses.
Those who attend can take tours to see the murals and get “artographs” from the Mural Fest 2023 national artists. Bicycle tours will start at 7:30 and 9:00 p.m. at the Lomax Street block party, and Blue Shore Pedal Lounge will shuttle guests around downtown to see the new murals throughout the evening, according to the Downtown Management District (DMD).
The second day of the festival, Saturday, will be Mural Fest’s Summer Kick-off Party hosted at Norma Urban Park on the Peoples Street T-head from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This event will reveal the new summer activation pop-up park on the T-head.
The new park, designed by Corpus Christi Better Block, includes a newly painted 14,400 square foot ground mural, The Mariner Tiki Pop-up Bar hosted inside a refurbished shipping container, park seating, shaded awnings, hammocks, and a “CCTX” photo opportunity.
There will also be a line-up of local musicians performing including Chica’s Rock, DJ JELLOxSHOT, 18 Hours, and Latin Grammy Winner El Dusty.
Corpus Christi Better Block is still seeking volunteers within the community to help build, paint, unbox, and put together the Norma Urban Park event. All ages are welcome. Water will be available onsite. You can sign up to volunteer here.
Mural Fest events are weather permitting, the DMD said. Murals produced by the festival are semi-permanent and intended to last for multiple years.
