“Proof that cats really do rule everything around us.” —Timeout New York

Cats are back! The Walker’s wildly popular Internet Cat Video Festival heads to the new CHS Field in St. Paul’s Lowertown.

The fourth showcase features a new selection of videos curated by Will Braden, the creator of the Henri Le Chat Noir videos and recipient of the festival’s first Golden Kitty (People’s Choice) Award. Film critic Roger Ebert called Henri 2, Paw De Deux “the best Internet cat video ever made.” The new reel will feature approximately 100 cat videos culled from nominations by the public in the categories of Comedy, Drama, Animated, Musical, Action, Vintage, and Documentary.

This year’s event is hosted by radio personality Barb Abney of Go 96. A forever fan of cats, Abney was voted Best Radio Personality in the City Pages Best of the Twin Cities Readers’ Choice poll.

Tickets

Tickets are now sold out. All seats are general admission. Tickets are print-at-home.

The 2015 Golden Kitty Award

First it was Henri, followed by Tardar Sauce (aka Grumpy Cat) and Shorty—who will walk away with the prestigious Golden Kitty Award this year? The nominees are on view here, and the votes are in! The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be revealed at the end of the night on August 12.

See Your Cat on the Big Screen!

Upload a favorite photo of your feline friend(s) here by August 5 to be a part of a meowvelous slideshow like no other—on the jumbotron at CHS Field!

Schedule of Events

• 6:30 pm: Gates open and activities begin
• 8:30 pm: Reel begins
• 10 pm: Program concludes

Follow the Action

Follow #catvidfest on Facebook and Twitter.

Festival Cativities at CHS Field

Prior to the screening at dusk, the festival will feature several cat-themed artist projects throughout CHS Field, including In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater, Ed Vogels with the Secret Music of Cats, Meow Moves Yoga, and many others. Take part in photo-ops, art-making activities, a giant cat mural, face painting, and a “Dress as Your Cat” costume contest.

Food & Beverages

Food and beverages are available from CHS Field vendors during the festival.

Learn More About Animal Resources & Welfare

The festival will include representatives from the Animal Ark No Kill Shelter, Animal Humane Society, Caring for Cats, Home for Life, Saintly City Cat Club, Twin Cities Cat Fanciers, and Twin Cities Pet Rescue to help educate attendees about cat-related issues.

FAQS

• Tickets are required.
• Seating is available in the stands or on the outfield. No reserved seating; all space is first-come, first-served.
• Bring blankets to sit on; chairs are not permitted.
• Please leave all pets at home, including cats and dogs. Due to the venue’s rules, animals are not allowed at this event with the exception of service animals. Most kitties would probably rather stay at home anyway.
• No outside food or beverages are allowed, but there will be plenty of choices at the event.
• The event will be ASL interpreted. There will be a reserved area, located at the right front of the stage, for festival attendees using these services. No special ticket is required.
• Wheelchair-accessible seating available. Please enter at the main gate and turn left to access the area. No special ticket is required. For more information about accessibility, call 612.375.7564 or e-mail access@walkerart.org.
• In case of rain, this event will be held Tuesday, August 25. Original tickets will be honored.

Transportation & Parking

CHS Field is conveniently located off of I-94 and Highway 52 at 360 Broadway Street, St. Paul, MN 55101. Click here for driving directions and information about bus or light rail transportation. Or ride your bike—plenty of bike racks will available at CHS Field for the event.

There are many parking lots and ramps in St. Paul’s Lowertown area. For details, check the CHS Field parking map.

Festival Merchandise

Get decked out in a new festival T-shirt or hat, available only during the event on August 12.

A Brief History of the Internet Cat Video Festival

In August 2012, the Walker Art Center planned a small experiment as part of its outdoor summer programming on Open Field, the greenspace adjacent to the museum. What if there were an evening program dedicated to the Internet phenomenon of cat videos? Would anyone come to watch videos that they could easily view by few clicks at home or work? How would this solo hobby translate to a public setting?

Word of the event quickly spread internationally via social media and the press, including coverage as varied as the New York Times, the BBC, Japanese television, Australian talk shows, Brazilian newspapers, CNN, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, Cat Fancy, Slate, Time Magazine, CHEEZburger, and many more. The result was some 10,000 people (and a few celebricats) gathered on the hillside at the Walker, enjoying the first Internet Cat Video Festival—together. Subsequent installments—at the Minnesota State Fair Grand Stand (with Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub, among other special guests) and back at Walker’s Open Field last year–attracted similar crowds, and the overwhelming success of the event has led to international tours of the program.

Media Contact

Rachel Joyce, Assistant Director, Public Relations
rachel.joyce@walkerart.org

Tour Requests

For inquiries about bringing the Internet Cat Video Festival to your venue, please fill out this form.