The 7th Annual Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts
July 22 – 24, 2022
20+ Performances – 4 Stages – 3 Days
The 7th annual Linda Plaut Newton Festival of the Arts will span many facets of arts and culture including several genres of music from blues to baroque, classical guitar to R&B, and opera to jazz. The Festival has served as a catalyst for the cultural life in the city since 2015 and has been a showcase of Newton’s talent and Newton Cultural Council grant recipients for many arts organizations and artists over the years.
- Outdoors at The Hyde Playground, 90 Lincoln Street, Newton Highlands
- Outdoors on the Village Green, 1221 Centre St, Newton Centre, MA 02459
- Outdoors at Suzuki School of Newton, 1615 Beacon Street, Waban
- Inside at The Allen House Center for the Arts, 35 Webster Street, West Newton
Festival Chair and Producer: Christopher Pitts
Performance Schedule
We are very excited to bring the 7th Annual Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts to Newton on July 22-23-24. There is something for everyone to enjoy! This year the local and regional talent performing is bigger and better than ever! This is our biggest community event of the year and we are grateful to The Village Bank our Presenting Sponsor and to Honda Village and Mark Development our Gold Sponsors. Bring your dancing shoes, grab some take out at your favorite restaurant and enjoy a wonderful summer afternoon and evening with family & friends.
Killer lineup. Especially looking forward to the Sunday in Newton Highlands. Sounds like a party! Doing Linda proud indeed.
Now THIS is a great lineup.
Some incredible musicians here!
Very excited for this festival.
Linda Plaut was a great human being! She worked in City government tirelessly to improve peoples’ lives. She took time to speak to everybody who visited her office in City Hall. Linda worked alongside several staff whom equally epitomized receptive, responsive governing. Unfortunately, those folks retired or got fired and simply moved on. It is fitting to continue Linda’s work using her name to add heft to the annual event. Peace.
Yes Linda Plaut was indeed a great human being and I do think it is wonderful that the annual festival was re-named to commemorate here.
About five years ago we hosted a Nomad Story Slam at the Newton Library. Linda Plaut told her story that night about how she came to be so enmeshed in the cultural life of Newton. Here’s Linda’s story, enjoy (my apologies for the sub-par audio)
Thank you for the wonderful comments & especially adding that special story from Linda. Linda was a mentor of mine & I worked beside her on the first Festival of the Arts in 2015 and am humbled & honored to channel her spirit & legacy with such a wonderful community event for all to enjoy. On behalf of NCP, we look forward to a great weekend. See you then! Gloria Gavris, Chair of NCP
This looks to be a very exciting weekend. I’d like to ask on behalf of people who don’t feel safe going to indoor events right now, would it be possible for any of the Allen Center for the Arts happenings to be hybrid so people can also watch online?
Perhaps this information will be helpful – I know that the Allen Center for the Arts invested in and installed a state of the art air ventilation system in the building two years ago so during the height of covid musicians and singers could rehearse and perform in their building. Last July we held several performances at The Allen Center for the Festival of the Arts. It is a beautiful and accommodating venue. Mask wearing is certainly supported but not required.
If masking isn’t required, I can’t attend nor can others who are immunocompromised or otherwise high risk. The last Story Slam was hybrid and there were a lot of us who appreciated it. I know that won’t work for everything, but if events with a single mic can also be watched on YouTube or Facebook that would accommodate people with disabilities who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy these events.
I want to point out that the Festival of the Arts is the largest annual cultural event in Newton. The venue has changed since Linda’s day, to an actual 3-day festival format, with 22 performances. And still entirely free to the public.
Linda is sorely missed. Two things I loved about Linda were her use of group genius, and her desire to say yes before saying no. I am working hard to embrace her vison in my role as producer of FOA. Newton Community Pride under the leadership of Gloria Gavris has done an amazing job of funding. Our plan is to keep building, to celebrate top regional talent, and bring free entertainment to stages across the city.
Last year’s was great especially given the short timeframe that you had to plan due to Covid. I’m quite excited about this year. I don’t remember the name of your band but you were excellent and I hope you’re on this lineup.
Also a reminder that the St. Mary of Carmen Festival takes place Wednesday through Sunday.
https://www.stmaryofcarmen.org/festival/
Thanks for the info – I’ll post it now.