ArtsFest 2024 kicks off Thursday, October 17 and runs through

Sunday, October 20 with nearly 50 venues presenting the work of

more than 250 artists (visual artists, performers, artisans).

Family friendly activities abound, with some special events just for kids. Get a sneak peek here -- then visit the NRCA website for the for the complete ArtsFest calendar. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

 CLICK for Calendar

ALL WEEKEND:

Thursday through Sunday families can take self-guided walks of public art. At Ward Acres Conservancy (300 Broadfield Rd., NR; 914- 654-2087 ; www.wardacresconservancy.org ) a Self-Guided Childrens Story Trail featuring the book “A Good Place” includes 19 stops in both English and Spanish. The trail is designed to be a self-guided experience for children 2 and up. 

Downtown enjoy a Self Guided Tour of the NRNY Murals (to download a map of the murals CLICK HERE). The 20 large scale #NRNY Murals make a statement about New Rochelle as a diverse city where art plays a pivotal role. Completed in 2022 the high impact murals were created by a group of world class street artists curated by Street Art for Mankind and sponsored by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts and the City of New Rochelle’s IDA. There will also be free tours on the Culture Trolley at 12 pm and 1:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday for a guided tour of the NRNY Murals.

And use this QR code to find pop-up musical performances by Songcatchers,

the nonprofit organization that provides affordable access to high quality music education and enrichment for children and families. Keep an eye out for “Community Music Pop Ups” throughout New Rochelle all weekend, with Songcatchers musicians of various levels playing at outdoor locations. (songcatchers.my.canva.sit)

THURSDAY, October 17th

Thursday and Friday are school days -- but also a perfect time to introduce children to some of the art spaces around town! For example, at Cafetero Coffee (Cafetero Coffee Company, 111 Centre Ave., NR) you can view artwork on exhibit (and on the walls outside) plus enjoy a special treat: Mention ArtsFest or show this brochure to receive a 10% discount on a hot chocolate drink.

You have the chance to see art in the making at New Rochelle High School on Thursday, where ceramics teachers and students will be doing Live Raku Firing from 8:30 am to 3 pm in the new wing parking lot (corner of North Avenue and Braemar). The community is welcome to visit and learn about this ancient Japanese ceramics technique, which creates unique -- and unpredictable -- designs characterized by vibrant colors.

You might also check out art on view at the Lumen Winter Gallery at the New Rochelle Public Library (1 Library Plaza, NR, 914-632-7878, www.nrpl.org ) where the New Rochelle Art Association is showing its 109th annual juried show, with paintings in acrylic, oil and watercolor as well as sculpture, photography digital art and mixed media. (Open 9 am to 8 pm on Thursday.) And kids might be tickled by "Undersea Whimsy: Imaginative Creatures from the Deep" (Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital , 101 Glover Johnson Pl., NR; lobby level; www.montefiore.org/artprogram), playful bold, doodle-inspired works by Erwin Ong. (Open 12 noon to 4 pm). 

FRIDAY, October 18th 

Did you know New Rochelle High School is the only high school in the state with its own museum? Older children and teens will enjoy visiting the Museum of Arts & Culture (located at North Avenue at Braemar) from 6 to 8 pm to view Fall In Plein Air: Landscape Abstractions -- paintings by NRHS visual arts students in PAVE 1, 2 and 3. There will be live music and refreshments available for a donation. (Additional works will be displayed around the lake.)



Then at 8 pm the action moves to the Linda E. Kelly Theatre downstairs where the student group Theatreworks will present "Face Forward: Growing Up in Nazi Germany." Three young people growing up in Nazi Germany struggle to claim their identities and transition into adulthood in this collage play about ethics, family, and self-perception. No answers come easily as these characters experience ordinary growing pains in the face of extraordinary historical tragedy. Free admission, donations welcome.

On the other end of town families with older kids and teens will thrill to the return of The Haunt at Wildcliff Mansion (44 Wildcliff Drive, NR; www.hpcgreenhouse.org), a spine-chilling immersive Halloween experience from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday. Guests can explore a mad doctor’s forgotten laboratory, navigate a restless graveyard, wander the haunted corn maze, and investigate Wildcliff Mansion, encountering ghostly figures and reanimated horrors at every turn. Guests under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult; no babies or strollers will be allowed. Timed tickets cost $25 per person at https://app.hauntpay.com/events/hauntatwildcliffmansion

SATURDAY, October 19

ArtsFest was built around the idea of artists opening their studios to the public, and one of the most kid-friendly is Charles Fazzino Art Studio at Museum Editions (32 Relyea Pl., NR; 914-654-9370; www.fazzino.com ) Once a year world famous pop artist Charles Fazzino – the master of 3-D art -- opens his studio to the public for ArtsFest. Tour Charles Fazzino's personal studio and showroom and participate in an interactive project to learn how to create Fazzino's 3D Art. Fun for all ages and an ArtsFest favorite.

Nine other artists' studios will be open to the public for ArtsFest, each providing a window into the life of artists working in a variety of media.

At Highbrook Studio in Pelham you can see eight different artists working in a variety of styles, while the studios of Amelia E. Jones and Fran Sisco are offering spoken word (poetry, storytelling, theater) and music as well as visual art. And from 12 to 4 pm you can visit two very different artists in adjacent studios at 55 Webster Avenue : Marie Hines Cowan creates large scale oil paintings while Naomi Grossman is known for her wire sculptures. Use this QR code to access an up-to-the-minute list of all the local artists who will be opening their doors to the public during ArtsFest weekend: The site offers addresses, times and parking information for the studio locations.

Saturday is jampacked with your choice of other kid-friendly activities, starting with Art in the Garden (30 Oakdale Ave., NR, rear yard; 914-439-2020; healthyyardsnr@gmail.com) from 10 am to 1 pm. Works by selected artists from the New Rochelle Art Association will be on display in a private garden: All work will be inspired by nature or designed to enhance a garden. A collaboration between the NRAA and Healthy Yards New Rochelle.

If your kids enjoy vintage cars don’t miss the free Classic Car Show from 11 am to 4 pm (Hamilton Avenue Parking Lot, across the street at AJ’s Burgers at 542 North Ave., NR). The show focuses on automotive design with classic auto beauties spanning the 1920s to the 1970s on exhibit by invitation only. Enjoy rollicking live music by Bear Mountain Brass Band from 12 to 2 pm. Rain Date: Sunday, October 20th.

From 11 am to 5 pm the Fifth Annual Artsfest Artisan Market (on the grounds of Thomas Paine Cottage, 20 Sicard Avenue) features live music by Mudsole Dixieland Trio from 12 to 2 pm, food trucks, and 30 makers selling their creations. Plus a visit from the ArtsWestchester ArtsMobile, a colorful van custom fit with all kinds of art supplies that will offer free visual arts workshops led by professional teaching artists from 1 to 3 pm. Rain Date: Sunday, October 20th.

At 12 noon older kids and teens can join parents for a coffee break at Starbucks Wykagyl (1278 North Avenue) where students from New Rochelle High School’s PAVE 4 and TheatreWorks will and present an original spoken word event, A Vente on the Veranda. Enjoy captivating performances of song, acting, and movement while sipping your favorite drink. It’s the perfect blend of creativity, community, and coffee—an exciting showcase of local talent!  

Everybody loves the free ArtsFest Trolley! This year you can hop aboard the old timey transport for a guided tour of New Rochelle’s Murals. (Meet at Hotel NoMa,1 Radisson Place, where you can park for free.) Docent Andi Stix will guide the trolley through the streets of New Rochelle as she provides the backstory behind some of the city’s most loved public art. There will be two tours each on Saturday and Sunday, at 12 noon and 1:30 pm. Be sure to show up early as seating is limited. 

At the Pelham Art Center (155 Fifth Ave., Pelham; 914-576-7747, x115; www.pelhamartcenter.org ) view an exhibit of student works from 10 am to 4 pm; in addition from 1 to 3 pm members of the PAC Artist Club will be giving lectures about their artwork and creative processes. In conjunction with the lectures, PAC will also be offering a craft project for all ages.

The Aaron Copland School of Music's Brass Ensemble will present a free concert of diverse works ranging from Baroque to Broadway at the New Rochelle Public Library (1 Library Plaza, NR, 914-632-7878, www.nrpl.org ) at 2 pm. This special ArtsFest event is perfect for listeners of all ages, offering a unique opportunity to explore the versatility of brass instruments and ensemble performances.

In the North End, the Huguenot Children’ s Library (794 North Avenue at Eastchester Road; 914-632-8954; www.nrpl.org ) invites families to be Lego Library Architects: Build a replica of the beloved little library with Legos --or create your own dream library with Legos and Duplos. Fun for the whole family. 

Wanna-be theater kids can get a sneak peek at a rehearsal for "Chicago : Teen Edition" from 3 pm to 3:30 pm at SOOP Theatre Company (530 Fifth Avenue, Pelham; 914-552-

7850; www.sooptheatre.org) Enjoy a few of the iconic musical numbers from this longest running musical revival on Broadway.

On Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 5 pm expose your kids to the magic of movement at the ArtsFest Dance Festival (Whitney Young Auditorium at New Rochelle High School, 265 Clove Rd., NR). This free showcase of astonishing dance performances by professional companies and local schools will introduce young audiences to a variety of dance styles (and give parents a chance to discover local dance schools). On Saturday: Ajkun Ballet Theatre; Christy Walsh; MorDance; TORCH Dance Theatre; Ballet Arts of Westchester and Ballet Arts des Amériques. On Sunday: Accent Dance NYC; New Rochelle High School PAVE Hudson Ballet Theatre; Steffi Nossen Dance Company; Dance Ministry Institute and The Coleman School of Dance.

Little ones can shake their ya-yas out with Shake, Rattle and Roll Music at 3:30 pm at Thomas Paine Cottage (20 Sicard Ave., NR; ThomasPaineCottage.org) This free music session will make everyone want to bop, wiggle, and twirl to the beat. Previously named Best Music School by Westchester Magazine, Shake, Rattle & Roll Music gets everybody moving and grooving with songs in different languages and their original, catchy tunes in English. Kids are invited to bring their own favorite percussion instruments (shakers, tambourines, castanets, etc.).  

Saturday’s events wind down with a free concert featuring Hurdy Gurdy Man Jerome Hughes from 5 pm to 6:30 pm at the Thomas Paine Memorial Building (983 North Ave., NR; parking on Valley Road). Children and teens will delight in discovering this unusual instrument with a varied repertoire, from medieval pieces to two world premieres. With special guest, singer Kate Chaston.

SUNDAY, October 20

On Sunday morning from 11 am to 2 pm kids are invited to explore the Pumpkin Patch at the Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse

(44 Wildcliff Rd, Hudson Park, NR; www.hudsonparkgreenhouse.org )

Children can select and paint a pumpkin for a small fee. There will also be a “Skeleton Scavenger Hunt” and other seasonal activities. For an extra $10 guests can take a guided tour through a less-scary daytime version of “The Haunt at Wildcliff Mansion” with lights on and no actors.

Stop by the Fall Fest Open House at the JCC Mid-Westchester (999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, NY; 914-768-8882; jccmw.org ) from 11 am to 2 pm to experience the programming for all ages available at this multi-generational cultural center open to all, from arts and crafts, to dance, live music, visual arts exhibitions, fitness, fun activities, and food vendors. You’ll have a chance to sample drop-in dance classes, edible gardening, PJ library story hour, a breath-body-mind meditation class, plus inside and outside games, raffles and activities.

At 11:30 am take a guided walk along the Story Trail at Ward Acres Conservancy (300 Broadfiled Rd., NR; 914- 654-2087 ; www.wardacresconservancy.org ) The trail -- based on the book “A Good Place” -- includes 19 stops in both English and Spanish. Designed to be a self-guided experience for children 2 and up, the story will be brought to life on this walk by narrators. Attendees are to meet at the entrance to the park on Broadfield road across the street from the Ward Elementary School Baseball field.

The children’s activities wrap up at the New Rochelle Public Library (1 Library Plaza, NR, 914-632-7878, www.nrpl.org ) with two special programs: At 2 pm an interactive bilingual puppet show takes you on Adventures in the Andes -- led by Araceli Poma this enchanting program allows young audiences to explore the Spanish language through music and fun -- and at 3:30 pm children can Make Your Own Llama Balloons: Get creative with this hands-on craft activity, where you’ll make adorable llama decorations using balloons, crepe paper, stickers, and more. This fun-filled workshop is perfect for all ages. 

Thank you to Our ArtsFest Sponsors

 The New Rochelle Council on the Arts is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive George Latimer.