On Saturday July10 and Sunday July 11 there will be non-stop music and performances at multiple locations around the city at the re-imagined 2021 Newton Festival of the Arts … and its all FREE! thanks to Newton Community Pride and its sponsors.

Rather than the festival running as a series of events over a month as it has in past years, this year it will be a single weekend jammed pack with continuous performances.   It begins on Saturday morning at 11 AM at the Hyde Bandstand and at 11:30 AM on the lawn of the Suzuki Center in Waban Square.   Sunday’s performances kick off once again at the Hyde Bandstand at 11 AM and the second stage starts up in West Newton at 1 PM the beautiful Allen House which has just been refurbished to be Newton new arts center.  

It sounds liker a fabulous lineup with something for everyone – jazz, rock, folk, classical, Afro-pop, opera, blues,baroque, soul, klezmer  and more. Here’s the whole program.

Stick around after the music at the Hyde Bandstand on Saturday for the Nomad Story Slam at 5 PM.

The festival has been officially renamed the Linda Plaut Newton Festival of the Arts after the legendary Linda Plaut who was behind so many of Newtons art and culture events for so many years.  I think Linda would love this re-imagined festival.  She always loved a big happening and this promises to be that.

As you’d imagine, lots of people are behind organizing and event like this and I thank them one and all.  I do want to give a special shout-out to Chris Pitts.  Chris has been like a dog with a bone about making sure we bring the festival back this year and making sure its something special.  That wonderfully eclectic lineup has Mr Pitts fingerprints all over it.

Many thanks to Newton Community Pride for putting this together.  This is EXACTLY what we all need right about now after being squirreled away for most of the past 15 months.   Hope to see you all there.