Mystic River Celebration Sept. 24th
A glass-blowing artist at the Mystic River Celebration in 2015. Photo by Allie Fiske Shvonski
The sixth annual Mystic River Celebration will take over the Condon Shell on Saturday, September 24th 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 and cultural organizations. 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 Mystic River Celebration is widely known for its line-up of quality musicians. This year’s musical acts include bluegrass/folk/funk trio Cold Chocolate, local high school favorite Georgia Bowder-Newton, jazz and blues artist Lydia Harrell, and the soulful and original sounds of The Blue Ribbons. The festival will also feature performances by Tufts Bhangra, Guardians of Isadora, and others.
There will be numerous opportunities to purchase, make, and appreciate art of all types. Artisan wares will be on sale by local vendors, including prints, blown-glass, jewelry, bags, and pottery. Local public artist Keri Percival will illuminate the rich ecology and timeline of the Mystic River in a sculpture made of natural and artificial objects found along the river. Along the periphery of the festival, artists will produce on-site paintings of the beautiful Condon Shell, Mystic River, and other surrounding scenery, which will be on exhibit in October at Mystic Coffee Roaster.
Local food vendors will include the Depot Square Grille, Roving Lunchbox, Perche Patisserie, and Didi Original Biscotti. Families will enjoy countless activities for children such as a Knucklebones play area, activities with the Medford Family Network, and face painting by the much sought-after professional face painter, Elizabeth Stone. If you haven’t picked up your Medford Saves key tag yet, buy one for $15 at the CACHE table to begin saving big at dozens of Medford businesses, with proceeds going to support the Mystic River Celebration and other CACHE programs. Also, take part in the Mystic River Celebration scavenger hunt to be entered to win tickets to several arts events in Medford.
The Condon Shell is located at 2501 Mystic Valley Parkway. Parking is available on-site 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 25th 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 sixth year, Arts Across Medford features 15 free or low-cost arts, cultural, and historic events throughout the city of Medford for all ages and interests. Music, theater, hands-on writing and art workshops, exhibitions, 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 24, visit www.medfordfestival.org or visit CACHE in Medford on Facebook or Twitter.