Newton’s Annual Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts will kick off Friday, July 22, to celebrate local arts and culture, including a wide range of music, such as bluegrass, R&B, opera, and jazz, according to a statement from Newton Community Pride.
The festival has served as a “catalyst for the cultural life” in the city since 2015 and has been a showcase of Newton talent and Newton Cultural Council grant recipients, according to the statement.
All festival performances are free, accessible, and open for all to enjoy, the statement said.
“This year’s festival is bigger and better than ever. We are excited to expand our offerings of free live music and family programming with an added evening and an additional village stage,” said Gloria Gavris, who serves as the board chairwoman of Newton Community Pride.
Advertisement
The festival is named for Linda Plaut, who served five of Newton’s mayors, and was the city’s director of the Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs. Plaut died of cancer in 2019 at the age of 78.
The festival will start on Friday, July 22, at the Hyde Playground in Newton Highlands at 6:30 p.m. with a New Philharmonia Pops Concert, and activities including a showing of the film “Casablanca.”
On Saturday, July 23, at Newton Centre’s Village Green, a Summer Craft Market will be held from noon to 5 p.m. And at the Hyde Playground, musical performances will begin at 2 p.m. At Waban’s Suzuki School of Newton, music performances will start at 2 p.m.
On Sunday, July 24, a mix of music, dance, and poetry readings will be offered at the Allen Center for the Arts in West Newton starting at 1 p.m. More musical performances will be offered at the Hyde Playground beginning at 3 p.m.
A full schedule is available at newtoncommunitypride.org/newton-festival-of-the-arts/.
Advertisement
John Hilliard can be reached at john.hilliard@globe.com.