The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Creative Festival ‘unique and special’
TORRINGTON — A festival featuring live music, art and activities for children and adults will fill the city’s downtown, and the only thing that’s not certain is the weather.
“Fingers crossed for the weather,” said Steph Burr, executive director of the Northwest CT Arts Council, which is holding the festival at venues around the center of the city on Saturday. “I’ll be running around taking photos all day.”
The council organized the Litchfield Hills Creative Festival by reaching out to local artists and musicians to gauge interest, and the idea grew from there, Burr said.
“My coworker Maddie Stenson, who is our program director, invited a bunch of people together to discuss it, and it’s been a collaborative project ever since,” Burr said. “We let them each decide how they wanted to be involved. It’s gotten pretty big, and pretty collaborative. It’s going to be so cool.”
Council members will sell water at booths at Franklin Plaza and Coe Memorial Park, Burr said. At the plaza, vendors are planning to sell art and handmade artisan crafts from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. At Coe Memorial Park, bands are performing live music.
“Our idea was not to take over any venue, but to let everyone be where they wanted to be,” she said. “The response from different organizations has been great.”
The live music is being sponsored by Red Room Sound Studio and the Warner Theatre, with performances by Mike Cobb, the Write Offs and the Red Hots, and ending with a show by Corey Glover of Living Color and Friends.
Also at the park, the Warner Stage Company is presenting two free performances of “The Stinky Cheese Man” for children and families.
Sponsors for the music are Flying Key Entertainment LLC / Red Room sound Studio, Cook Funeral Homes, AKC Fund, and the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation Building Healthier Communities Fund. Sound is being provided by Orangetruck Audio and sponsored by Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Eyes on Litchfield and Tommasina Pasqua Sideris, Litchfield Dental Associates and Dr. Steven Sideris.
Live buskers playing their own
music will be found at various locations downtown, organized by Rock Yer Block, and a downtown open artist studio walking tour is planned. Other participating organizations include the Torrington Library, KidsPlay Children’s Museum, Five Points Center for the Visual Arts, Water Street Potters, Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory and Mental Health CT Mending Arts.
“We are thrilled to bring an event like this to the area, and so grateful for the support from our collaborating organizations and sponsors,” said Stenson. “When we all come together as a community, we can create a unique and special experience for everyone. We hope that
this event will grow organically over time and draw interest from those who don’t already know about all the creativity in Litchfield County.”
“It’s all for families and adults,” Burr said. “We’re realy happy that we have a little bit of something for everyone.”
Along with the many free events happening all day, visitors can have lunch or dinner at a downtown restaurant and visit the many businesses and galleries on Main, East Main and Water streets.