Since its founding as a resort in 1850, Atlantic City has been known for innovation, entertainment, tourism, and urban experimentation. Over the years, Atlantic City introduced many “firsts” in the United States. Originally built to keep the sand out of the hotels and train cars, America’s first boardwalk was built in 1870. Atlantic City was one of the first cities built around rail tourism, attracting tourists seeking to escape Philadelphia’s summer heat. One of the largest indoor spaces in the world was built in 1929, Boardwalk Hall. The unprecedented barrel-vault ceiling provides cover for the largest pipe organ ever built. The organ is a symbol of American technological power, engineering ambition, and civic pride.
Over 175 years since its founding, Atlantic City continues to be a source of inspiration. Since 2015, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation has been producing diverse programs and activating community pride through the arts. The Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s signature event is the 48 Blocks Festival. As a homegrown public arts festival, the 48 Blocks Festival spotlights local and regional artists while also connecting communities together and deepening civic pride. This year’s 48 Block Festival will be held on September 19, 2026, from noon to 8 pm, featuring live music, art demos and workshops, exhibiting vendors, food, activities, and stories from all 48 blocks of the city. As a free, all-day, all-ages art festival, it will take place at the beautiful and picturesque combination of Uptown Park and Fisherman’s Park in the Atlantic City inlet, near Gardner’s Basin.
Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s executive director, Michael Atkins, offers a sneak peek at this year’s festival and how it connects to the cultural diversity within the City’s 48 blocks.
“The 48 Blocks Festival will showcase our citywide talents from every corner so that locals and tourists alike can see the vibrancy of our artistic community in a free festival setting. In practical terms, this is a platform for emerging local artists to be seen by an audience.” Michael goes on to share key features of the festival which will include “a courtside stage for musicians and DJs to perform in Uptown Park, space for artists’ expression and demonstrations in Fisherman’s Park, ongoing jitney mural tours, and a one-block street closure of Melrose Avenue as the spine of our event, space, and vendors’ row. Whether you’re a local or a visitor to Atlantic City, the 48 Blocks Festival offers something for everyone to get to better know our city’s arts scene.”
The 48 Blocks Festival is much more than a one-day event. For the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, it is about broadening conversations and revitalization without contributing to displacement or the loss of community character. “Everyone deserves a direct connection to the arts, and every community can benefit from direct access to the arts. Throughout the year, we install murals across the city, but the festival is our chance to bring everyone together, regardless of race, religion, or income, to experience art live and in person. The arts have a unique ability to bring people together, and through art we can come to better understand ourselves and our neighbors”, states Michael. The arts create an environment for inclusivity while also fostering individual artistic expression and celebrating cultural, ethnic, and social diversity. The 48 Blocks Festival aims to attract more tourists to Atlantic City during the summer shoulder season, but fundamentally, the festival is rooted in community. Michael further explains, “Our residents also deserve a high-quality end-of-summer community event that is free and welcoming to all ages.”
At its core, the 48 Blocks Festival exemplifies how the arts strengthen Atlantic City’s position as a great place to live, work, and play. The key to the Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s success has been its collaborations and partnerships, with a shared goal of making the arts accessible to everyone. Through intentionality and strategy, the Atlantic City Arts Foundation has continued this City’s rich tradition of innovation.
