Arts Festival offers interactive experience

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NAUGATUCK — The Town Green will be the go-to spot for art in the borough this weekend.

The 6th annual Naugatuck Arts Festival is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival will feature a variety of art exhibits, a comedy magic show by Sparkles the Clown, music by the Naugatuck Community Band, a live band open mic, a concert by Wolcott-based band Red Line, over 15 vendors and cultural performances twice an hour.

The festival, which is put on by the Naugatuck Arts Commission, will also feature the pARTicipate Hands on Arts Tent, which allows festival goers to create their own art.

“This festival is an interactive festival. Folks that come to the Arts Festival can create art projects in the pArticipate tent. They can get up on stage and play an instrument or sing a song at the open mic. All too often people relegate themselves as passive participants in the arts. When they come here, they can be active participants,” Naugatuck Arts Commission Chairman Charles Marenghi said.

The event also helps to raise money for a variety of causes in the community. Local organizations, including the Naugatuck Teen Theater, the Naugatuck Community Choir and the Knights of Columbus, will be selling food and beverages.

The Naugatuck Arts Commission itself raises money for the Arts Scholarship Fund with the sale of vendor spaces, Marenghi said.

“This fair gives the opportunity to many to support their causes. It’s the community that truly benefits the most,” Marenghi said.

The Arts Festival kicks off a month of festivals in Naugatuck, including the Back to School Block Party on Sunday and the Harvest Moon Festival on Sept. 16, that bring people downtown.

“All fairs and festivals provide a communal atmosphere that brings people of all walks of life together. These types of events are vital to providing a better quality of life in our town,” Marenghi said.