The 5th annual Newtown Arts Festival took place September 17th and 18th at Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown, CT. The Festival included over 75 artisans, food booths, two full days of live music, art activities, dance performances, poetry, puppetry, graffiti art, and a wine and beer garden.

The Newtown Arts Festival evolves from the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission. The 2016 Chairman was Terry Sagedy along with his team of many dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly for a year organizing the event.

Music Tent: Robert Rabinowitz, Host

Survivors Swing Band, Sub-Urban, Srividhya Shankar School of Classical South Indian Carnatic Music, Silver Steel Band, Newtown High School Nighthawks Band, Newtown High School Singers, Mad Hatter Chorus, Washboard Slim and The Blue Lights, Berkshire Jazz Orchestra, and Last Lixx.

Poetry Salon: Victoria Munoz, Margaret Plaganis, and Andy Weil, Hosts

Poets: Lisa Schwartz, Newtown Poet Laureate, Byrds Books Writers Group, Margaret Plaganis, Ken Cormier, Davyne Verstandig, Washington, CT Poet Laureate, Kate Mayer, Rennie McQuilkin, CT State Poet Laureate, Brad Davis, Prison Poetry with Chris Belden & Guests, Garner Correctional Institution, Victoria Munoz, Andy Weil, Amy Nawrocki, Eric Zork Allen, Elizabeth Thomas & Friends, Veda Leone.

Dance Pavilion:

Natyarpan School of Dance, Journey Dance, Dance Collaborative Ballet with Todd R. Hall, Dance Collaborative Broadway Jazz with Abbey O'Brien, Dance Collaborative Modern with Stephen Rooks, Dance Etc., CT Dance, Ashurst Academy of Irish Dance, Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet & Voice, Senior Line Dancing, The Graceful Planet

Puppetry:

Sova Dance & Puppet Theater Walkabouts, PM Pupperty Walkabouts by Robin McCahill, "Frogs Make Me Hoppy", puppet making workshop, "Animal Masks", Frog Parade, "Beatrice" the Phoenix puppet by Robin McCahill, Bird Mask mini performance, A Fly Puppet, "Violet" the Dragon, a puppet parade by the CT Guild of Puppetry, Woodland Fairies and Elves

Grafitti Wall: Artists Danny Gaughan and Marco Frascone

Art Oasis/Lantern Tent:

The Lantern Shop making lanterns, Ben's Bells, Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) artist members

Make Tent:

Printmaking, Missy Savard, Knitting, Nicole Christensen, Cupcake Decorating, Liz Luizetti, Cool Down and Color, Tracy Van Buskirk, Tatting demonstrations, Judi Simon, Bottles of Hope, Debbie Goodrow, Meditate and Create, Joanne Keane, Asian Brush Painting, Mary Barrett Anders

Arts Festival Tent: 

Cultural Arts Commission Grant Winners: George Duncan, Virginia Zimmerman, Flagpole Photographers

Entertainment Tent: 10x10 Play Festival - Comedy Intended, Ten, 10 minute plays by established playwrights with local directors.

Tent Sponsors: Leverage Marketing Group, Dental Associates of CT, Newtown Savings Bank

Media Sponsor: The Newtown Bee

Business Sponsors: KENO Graphics, Basedoor Graphics, Shaoln Studios, Wells Fargo, MarketSage, GreenIt, Associated Refuse Haulers, Southern New England Windows, LLC, The LaurelRock Company, Newtown Parks and Recreation

Banner Sponsors: The Greens at Cannondale, Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet & Voice, Fraser Woods School, Wilton Meadows Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky, Newtown Meeting House, Holmes Fine Gardens, Webster Bank

Friends of the Festival: Thomas E. Salon, Route 7 Music, Music Guild, Disc and Dat, Redding Nursery, Via Nova

All Images Copyright © Photo & Video Art Works and Marleen Cafarelli. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited by law