Organizers of the first Arlington Alive Summer Arts Block Party, a day to celebrate the arts, estimate 1,000 people turned out Saturday, July 13, near Arlington Center.
More photos >>
From noon to 5 p.m. at Broadway Plaza, the crowd enjoyed live performances that included zydeco with the Squeezebox Stompers, bluegrass and Texas Swing with The Bagboys, family fun with Ben Rudnick & Friends and Margot Fox, plus a special performance from Jon Cohan & His Golden Rulers featuring Arlingtonian Woody Giessmann of the Del Fuegos.
A family-arts area offered art activities for all ages. The Promenade of Arts featured booths of local artists showcasing their works, and the food court feature local restaurants.
More music was heard on the Acoustic Second Stage.
Participants then headed over to the Regent Theatre from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and enjoyed more, including music from the Liberty Belle Chorus, live dance performances from Intimations Dance & Calamity Dance Company, scenes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest from Arlington Children’s Theater, improv with True Story Theater and a selection short films curated by the Arlington International Film Festival.
All events were free and open to the public. Free off-street parking is available. Also accessible by the MBTA.
Who’s behind the party
The party was a townwide effort that celebrates the strength of our creative economy. The festival provided a venue for local artists, build awareness of how the arts contribute to the economic vitality of our businesses community and promote Arlington as a destination for cultural tourism in greater Boston.
Through partnerships with local businesses, party attendees learned about Arlington’s vibrant business community and be invited to visit our local shops and restaurants.
For more information, visit www.ArlingtonAliveMa.org.
Coproduced by the Arlington Tourism & Economic Development Committee (ATED), The Arlington Center for the Arts (ACA), and with support from the Regent Theater, Right Turn, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and seed funding from the Arlington Cultural Council.
Key players were Tom Davison, ATED, John Budzyna, ACA.
Arlington Alive!” was a panel discussion and townwide meeting for businesses, nonprofits, artists and residents held June 7, 2012, at the ACA.
This story was published Friday, May 3, 2013, and updated July 16, 2013.
