Festivals

Tickets are available at podunkbluegrass. com. For a true taste of coastal Connecticut summer, check out the Milford Oyster Festival on August 21, right in downtown Milford. This year represents the 47th year for this culinary and music festival. With live music, a craft- beer and wine garden, a pre- festival party, and the promise of serving up 30,000 oysters this year, it’s no wonder this festival ranks among the top food festivals in the state. Info: milfordoysterfestival. com The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival 2021 is back for its 63rd season. Hosted by the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, it’s being held this year from Friday, August 13 to Sunday, August 15 in downtown Mystic, a quintessential New England shore destination. With a juried art show, an exhibit of more than 200 artists, and a charming Children’s Art Park, the festival attracts thousands. This year, there are a few noteworthy changes; for example, the hosts have added an outdoor stage and live performances to the event. “The show route has changed,” according to Morgan Yandow, membership manager at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce. “The new route will be entirely on the Stonington side of the bridge and will extend the length of the Mystic River, from the Mystic Seaport Museum all the way to the end of Cottrell Street, by the Mystic River Park. We are confident this new layout will make for a safer show, with an improved ease of setup/ breakdown, more parking options, and an improved pedestrian show. We are thankful to the Mystic Seaport for opening their grounds to this event. We will have booths inside the shipyard, where we have also moved our kid’s art area. There will be a continuous, natural, safe route, with convenient parking at the Seaport Museum.” Info: mysticchamber. org

The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival brings together more than 200 artists and craftspeople, who exhibit their work along a route that leads visitors through the town’s charming community and along the iconic Mystic River. ( Contributed photo)