scituate art festival

scituate art festival

Headed for the back roads of Rhode Island to check out the changing foliage this long weekend? Then think about dropping in on the Scituate Art Festival, a three-day affair where you can pick up a painting, hear a local band or sample regional and ethnic foods. This year, more than 300 artists and craftspeople will be exhibiting their wares on the historic village green on Route 116 in North Scituate. Visitors, who number in the thousands, will be able to view and purchase paintings, prints, sculpture crafts and antiques. The event runs from Saturday to Monday beginning at 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Works being shown were selected by a jury of artists and art educators with an eye for quality and workmanship. There will also be booths where you can sample ethnic foods and refreshments. Proceeds will go to a number of Scituate nonprofits. Over the years the festival has given back some $300,000 to the town. This is the 42nd year for the festival, which began in 1967 as a means to raise money to restore the former 1831 Congregational Church on the village green. The historic church is open for tours during the festival. Each year a portion of the proceeds from the festival are put aside for the upkeep of the church. The remainder of the money raised goes to schools, libraries and organizations within Scituate.

A dozen local artists took part in that first festival, which was held indoors at the North Scituate Community House. About 500 visitors showed up. Two years later it moved outdoors, and began to expand from a one-day event to three with a growing reputation. Today, along with the Wickford Art Festival, the Scituate festival is one of the premier arts events in the state.