Mystic River Celebration Sept. 26th
– Allie Fiske Shvonski
The fifth annual Mystic River Celebration will take over the Condon Shell on Saturday, September 26th from 12-4pm. This popular afternoon festival produced by CACHE in Medford celebrates the Mystic River, Medford, and the city’s robust community of artists, cultural organizations, and local businesses. Held at the Condon Shell along the Mystic River off of Route 16 and attended by 1,000 people each year, the event features live music and dance performances, artist vendors, local food, art installations, and activities sponsored by organizations and businesses.
The festival boasts a line-up of four not-to-be missed musical performances. Will Dailey, three-time winner of the Boston Music Award for Best Singer/Songwriter, will kick-off the festival with this rock/pop-style performance. Chasing Blue returns for their second year with their toe-tapping original and traditional bluegrass music featuring mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass, and vocals. The Boston-based Sasha Kern Trio presents an eclectic mix of
styles include jazz, blues, and bossa nova. Finally, The Blue Ribbons round off the event with their original and soulful music.
This arts festival provides countless opportunities to purchase, make, and appreciate art of all types. Artisan wares will be on sale by local vendors, including prints, photography, capes, jewelry, and woodwork. An art installation constructed of trash found along the Mystic River will illuminate the ever-present issues of littering while promoting the importance of up-cycling materials. Local artist Amy Beth Harrison will be presenting her
Mystic River arches highlighting the beauty of the Mystic River and the wildlife and industries it has and continues to support. Along the periphery of the festival site, artists can be found producing on-site paintings of the beautiful Condon Shell, Mystic River, and other surrounding scenery. These paintings will be on exhibit in October at Mystic Coffee Roaster.
Local food vendors will include the Depot Square Grille, Chicken and Rice Guys, CB Scoops, and Mystic Coffee Roaster. Families will enjoy countless activities for children and face painting by the much sought-after professional face painter, Elizabeth Stone.
The Condon Shell is located at 2501 Mystic Valley Parkway. Parking is available at the Condon Shell as well as along Winthrop Street, though participants are encouraged to walk or ride their bike where possible. The rain date will be Sunday, September 27th from 12-4pm.
The Mystic River Celebration kicks off CACHE’s Arts Across Medford, a month-long festival during October celebrating arts and culture in Medford. Now in its fourth year, Arts Across Medford features over 15 free or low-cost arts, cultural, and historic events throughout the city of Medford for all ages and interests. Dance, music, theater, poetry readings, writing workshops, painting, and historic talks are just some of the many art forms presented at events dappling the calendar of the festive month of October.
Arts Across Medford and the Mystic River Celebration are produced by the Coalition for Arts, Culture, and a Healthy Economy (CACHE in Medford, Inc.). These events are funded in part by Brookline Bank and the Medford Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For more information about the month-long Arts Across Medford festival and the Mystic River Celebration on Saturday, September 26, visit www.medfordfestival.org or visit the CACHE in Medford on Facebook or Twitter.
Finally, in preparation for the festival and to preserve the beauty and health of the Mystic River in general, the Friends of the Mystic River invite you to help clean up the Mystic River shoreline on Saturday, September 19th. Check-in is at the Condon Shell at 9:30am and volunteers are invited to collect trash and debris in the Condon Shell Park or any other location of their choosing between the Lower Mystic Lake and Torbert MacDonald Park. For more information, email Mystic02155@hotmail.com.