Fun Sized
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runs throughout october
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Fun Sized · runs throughout october ·
ARE YOU READY?
here’s are all the details!
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Fun Sized runs 10 AM–5 PM, Saturday, September 26 + Sunday, September 27. That’s when our festival tables will be up and running—but the art doesn’t disappear at 5. All of the installations are outside, so once you have a map, you can keep exploring as long as you’d like. Just remember: these things are tiny. Daylight helps.
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Start by grabbing a free Fun Sized map at one of our festival tables in front of Thornes Marketplace or near Urban Outfitters.
The map is your guide to everything—Art Locations, The Clues, Tiny Offerings, and the Cryptogram.
Pick a clue, start walking, and look closely. There’s no wrong way to explore. -
Pick up your free map, get the lowdown, and grab some Fun Sized gear at one of our two Fun Sized tables:
Thornes Marketplace · 150 Main Street — our official starting point
Urban Outfitters · 109 Main Street -
Your map has 15 clues. Follow each one to a location, then look for the big pink X. From there, the art is within sight—look up, look low, look somewhere unexpected.
Found it? Look for the artist plaque nearby. On it, you’ll find a puzzle piece with a number + letter. Match the number to your cryptogram and write in the letter.
FIND ALL 15 → COLLECT THE LETTERS → CRACK THE CODE → REVEAL THE GOLDEN MOMENT
The Golden Moment is the festival’s final installation. Solve the cryptogram to find out where it’s hiding.
Want to know more about the art? Each plaque includes the artist, artwork title, medium, and a QR code. Scan it to hear directly from the artist and explore more of their work.
Fun Sized Festival is around the corner! Here’s a bit of a lowdown on what to expect for the festival weekend! For more details, see our FAQs page or drop us a line!
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You could make the loop and find all of the spots in about an hour. But where’s the fun in that? Give yourself around two hours to hunt down the art, crack the cryptogram, explore downtown, and stop into participating businesses for a few Tiny Offerings along the way.
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Yep! The entire hunt takes place in downtown Northampton and is designed to be explored on foot. All of the installations are outdoors—on building facades, down alleyways, around architectural details, and in other unexpected places. The hunt stretches roughly from State Street to Hawley Street, with Main Street running through the heart of it.
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Tiny art deserves tiny extras. Participating downtown businesses will have special Tiny Offerings throughout the weekend—small treats, surprises, discounts, or other Fun Sized things to discover while you explore. Check your map for participating locations.
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Downtown Northampton has plenty of municipal parking within walking distance of Fun Sized. Your easiest option is the E.J. Gare Parking Garage, located just behind Thornes Marketplace. The first hour is free, then it’s 75¢/hour, and the covered walkway brings you right into Thornes—our official festival starting point. The garage is currently operating at reduced capacity, so give yourself a little extra time.
You’ll also find municipal lots and metered street parking throughout downtown, including lots on Masonic Street, Strong Avenue, Hampton Avenue, Old South Street, and Gothic Street. Most accept the ParkMobile app or payment at a kiosk.
Coming Sunday? City street parking and municipal lots are free on Sundays. (The E.J. Gare Garage is the exception.)
https://northampton.live/where-to-park
Fun Sized — even more Questions answered
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Fun Sized is a playful, citywide public art festival that transforms downtown Northampton into an interactive scavenger hunt for art. Visitors explore downtown using a printed and digital map to discover miniature public artworks hidden in overlooked corners, alleyways, storefronts, and architectural details throughout the city.
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Opening Weekend: September 26–27, 2026
Public artworks will remain on view throughout October 2026. and some may be selected for permanent placement. -
Fun Sized takes place throughout downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. The installations are spread across 16 locations within a walkable downtown area.
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Yes! Fun Sized is completely free and open to the public.
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The Fun Sized map is designed as a citywide scavenger hunt.
Rather than showing the exact location of each artwork, the map guides visitors to the general building or area where an installation is hidden. From there, participants are encouraged to slow down, look closely, and discover the artwork themselves.
Each installation location is marked by a number on the map. Once visitors arrive in the correct area, they’ll look for a small pink “X” marker on the ground indicating they’re nearby.
Near each artwork, visitors will find:
• A QR code linking to the artwork page on the Fun Sized website• A hidden letter connected to that installation’s number on the map
Participants collect letters from all 15 installations and fill them into the matching numbered spaces on their printed map.
Once all the letters are gathered, the cryptogram reveals the location of the final hidden installation: The Golden Moment.
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The Golden Moment is the final hidden installation in the festival scavenger hunt.
Its location is not shown on the map and can only be discovered by solving the hidden message created from collecting all of the letters throughout the festival.
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No. You can explore the installations in any order you’d like.
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Printed maps will be available at participating downtown businesses, festival info locations, and select sponsor locations during the festival weekend.
A digital version of the map will also be available online.
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Fun Sized features miniature murals, mosaics, sculptures, installations, and site-specific interventions created by regional and nationally recognized artists.
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Some installations may remain after the festival while others will be temporary. Each project is site-specific and determined individually.
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Absolutely. Fun Sized is designed to be playful, accessible, walkable, and welcoming to all ages.
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The installations can be visited throughout the month of September, but opening weekend (September 26– 27) will include additional programming, artist talks, and community events.
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That depends on how deeply you explore. Some visitors may complete the hunt in under an hour, while others may spend an afternoon wandering downtown, discovering artworks, shops, cafés, and hidden corners along the way.
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Fun Sized is produced by Bright Matter Studio, the public art and visual consulting practice of artists Kim Carlino and Michael Crigler.
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The festival features 16 artists total, including invited artists and artists selected through an open call process.
Artist profiles and installation previews will be released on the website leading up to the festival.
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Yes! Local businesses are an important part of the festival experience and may participate by:
• Becoming a sponsor
• Hosting maps or festival materials
• Offering scavenger hunt specials or promotions • Collaborating on pop-ups or activations
• Helping visitors navigate downtown -
Yes! Fun Sized is supported through community sponsorships, local partnerships, and arts funding. Sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses and organizations interested in supporting public art and downtown cultural programming.
Learn more here -
Downtown Northampton is largely walkable and ADA accessible, though some installation areas may include uneven sidewalks, alleyways, or older urban infrastructure. Accessibility guidance will be included on the festival map wherever possible.
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Yes. Opening weekend will include artist talks, community gatherings, and additional public programming throughout downtown.
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We expect to have volunteer opportunities available leading up to and during the festival weekend. More information will be announced closer to the event.
Please reach out if you’d like to volunteer -
Sign up to our mailing list or Follow @fun_sized_art_festival on Instagram and visit www.funsizedartfest.com for artist announcements, maps, event updates, and festival information.