Downtown Wichita Falls Development will discontinue sponsoring the popular Art Walk in downtown Wichita Falls and will turn management of the Farmer’s Market at 713 Ohio Ave. over to the city of Wichita Falls.
The nonprofit said in a news release Friday that Art Walk has evolved from a small gathering into an event that functions as a festival the group no longer has the resources to manage.
An Art Walk item is on the City Council’s closed-door agenda for Tuesday’s meeting at the MPEC.
On Friday, the city responded to the change in its own press release.
“The City of Wichita Falls has met with representatives from Downtown Wichita Falls Development to discuss their future goals and the transitions they are currently undergoing, including their decision to no longer host Art Walk,” the release said. “Moving forward, the City will evaluate all available options to ensure Art Walk can continue.”
The release said the city wanted to assure residents “we will continue to keep downtown a priority.”
DWFD, which was responsible for economic development downtown until May 2025, had functioned as manager of the city-owned Farmer’s Market.
But the organization said management would be turned over to the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Many of the market’s vendors left the Ohio Avenue location in 2022 for a new location following a dispute over raised rent payments to the city.
DWFD announced several other changes in its operation in its release.
The group said in the media release it would produce the annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival on March 14 at Eighth Street and Indiana Avenue, but it would not produce Cajun Fest in 2026, pointing to “staffing, funding, and organizational requirements needed to safely produce large scale events.”
DWFD said it will reassess future event opportunities, such as its involvement in the City Lights Parade during Christmas seasons.
The organization said it is making a “strategic transition” in its programs. It said despite pursuing additional funding, it could not raise enough money to support staff and infrastructure for some functions.
DWFD has been shuffled around in recent months with the city’s Economic Development Corporation and the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce ceasing to fund the group.
Board President Dusty Potter said in a May 2025 interview that the group was eliminating its paid staff positions, and employees were “transitioning” out.
Potter asked the city’s Sales Tax Corporation in October for funding but did not get it.
He said at the time, DWFD’s economic development function would be turned over to the Chamber of Commerce while DWFD would continue to be involved in events and festivals.
In October, the city then removed the economic development function from the chamber and assigned it to a nonprofit called Forward Wichita Falls.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: UPDATED City looks for options to continue Art Walk in Wichita Falls
Reporting by Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
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