The outdoor festival celebrates the arts with a wide array of performances, exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities.

Panoply is a production of The Arts Council, Inc., a non-profit organization, with sponsorship by Huntsville-area businesses and volunteer support from up to as many as 2,000 people each year.

The festival is held annually on the last full weekend of April in downtown Huntsville's Big Spring International Park and Von Braun Center.

Over the years, Panoply has evolved into one of the region's largest festivals, featuring activities and events like the "Global Village" – a gateway to the Huntsville area's diverse cultures – to children's "make-n-take" activities to the "Official Alabama State Fiddling Championship," "Homegrown Talent Contest," and "MOVA Songwriters' Competition."

The 2011 festival was cancelled because of the Super Outbreak of tornadoes that occurred several days before the event was to take place, which deprived the area of electricity.