Fall for the Arts at ArtsFest October 15th through 18th

As autumn arrives, it’s time to fall for the arts: ArtsFest 2026– the exciting weekend-long celebration of the arts -- will take place in New Rochelle and surrounding communities from Thursday, October 15th through Sunday, October 18th. The action-packed weekend includes a kick off concert by the band FROG, a return visit from The MOTH for one of its epic live Story SLAMs, open artists’ studios, live music and dance, art exhibits, a classic car show (with a visit from WAYMO, the car of tomorrow), a Makers Market and Youth Makers Market, spoken word events and walking tours, a free trolley ride to view New Rochelle’s murals, and interactive activities for all ages.

Especially exciting this year will be the presence of the tall ship Lynx, a replica square topsail schooner which will be moored in New Rochelle’s Marina throughout the weekend. The visit is part of Revolution on the Sound!, a series of events taking place to mark the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding – and the dramatic days when small units of rebels along Westchester’s Sound Shore saved Washington’s army. During ArtsFest weekend, as New Rochelle hosts the Lynx , there will be special events organized including Colonial Tavern Nights at Kenny’s on the Water and 18th Ward Brewing Taproom, public visits to the Lynx, the re-enactment of the Battle of Pell’s Point, and a special ArtsFest wrap up event Sunday afternoon at Echo Bay Yacht Club. (For more about the event go to www.echobayyachtclub.com/event-details-registration/arts-fest-echo-bay-yacht-club )

“And that’s just one part of ArtsFest!” says NRCA President Theresa Kump Leghorn. “The entire weekend is crammed with events and activities, most of them free and all of them delightful.”

Now in its 18th year, ArtsFest is organized by the non-profit New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA) to spotlight the diversity of arts and artists in our community, with more than 40 venues representing the work of some 250 visual and performing artists.

Sponsors for this year’s ArtsFest include an Anonymous Donor, ArtsWestchester, Cappelli Organization, RXR Clinton Park, Waymo, The Gwendolyn Appleyard Trust Fund for New Rochelle Charities, M & T Bank, Town House Kitchen + Drinks, Alvin & Friends Restaurantplus in-kind donors AJ’s Burgers, the New Rochelle Public Library, Hotel NoMa and the New Rochelle Downtown BID.

Among the highlights: The acclaimed Moth Story Hour will return to New Rochelle for ArtsFest on Friday, October 16th, with a live open mic Story SLAM: In a nod to the Lynx the theme for the evening will be “American Dream,” with ten lucky audience members, picked at random, sharing their thoughts on the meaning of the American Dream and hoping to be crowned the night’s StorySLAM champion. (tickets for the Story SLAM cost $15 and are on sale now at themoth.org/tickets/american-dreams-23

ArtsFest will also offer some great musical performances, starting with an ArtsFest kick off concert by FROG on Thursday night, October 15th: New Rochelle’s own indie rock band is in the middle of its FROG for Sale Tour, with shows across the U.S. and U.K., but they are returning home for a special performance, bringing their distinctive sound back to their hometown. (Hear their single “New Ro” on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLxEdopTOqs )

Local singer songwriters take the stage at the 18th Ward Brewing Taproom later on Thursday night, while Trumpeter Wayne Tucker celebrates 100 Years of Miles Davis in a Friday night concert at the New Rochelle Public Library. Later Friday night NRCA Board member Dave Fabris takes over the NRCA office space to create a “Faboratory,” experimenting with spoken word and live music in a late night jam session. Saturday afternoon classical pianist Brenda Quattrini will take listeners on a tour of her native Italy, from Scarlatti and beloved opera composers Verdi and Puccini to Italian cinema and contemporary music. And Saturday night NRCA Boad member Andrea “Alex Diamond” Alexander, a multidisciplinary artist, author, activist and community organizer will present “America, you in danger Gurl”, a collaborative experience connecting artists through music, art and conversation.

There’s more classical music on Sunday afternoon as Young Musicians of Westchester perform works by Bach, Brahms, Ravel and Chopin at the New Rochelle Public Library, and the cello and guitar duo Evermuze bring their blend of classical music with elements of jazz to the ArtsFest wrap up event at the Echo Bay Yacht Club.

The annual Arts Fest Makers Market returns on Saturday, October 17^th with live music by Mudsole, food trucks and 30+ vendors on the grounds of Thomas Paine Cottage; an adjacent Youth Makers Market will feature products crafted and sold by kids aged 7 to 17. Special performances all afternoon will feature children’s authors, art activities and performances by Songcatchers and Shake, Rattle and Roll.

Visual art will be found in open studios, galleries and exhibit spaces across New Rochelle, including some unusual locations – including the restaurant Suhi by Bou, the Gentleman’s Lab salons and coffee shops including R Café and Tea Boutique. New Rochelle’s public art NRNY Murals (a collaboration between NRCA, Street Art for Mankind and the City of New Rochelle) will be the focus of a guided trolley tour with NRCA docents providing the backstory behind some of the city’s most-loved public art.

On Saturday afternoon the beloved ArtFest Dance Festival returns to the newly-renovated Whitney Young Auditorium at New Rochelle High School with a free showcase of astonishing dance performances by professional companies and local schools. This year’s program includes The Coleman School of Dance; Steffi Nossen Dance Company; MorDance; Windriven Arts (formerly stringdance+media ; Hudson Ballet Theatre; Carole Alexis Dance Theatre /Ballet des Amériques; Ajkun Ballet Theatre and Scarsdale Ballet Studio. Ajkun Ballet will conduct workshops with the dancers from the high school’s PAVE performing arts program the week before, and those dancers will perform with the company on Saturday.

Among the surprises in store this year, the ArtsFest Classic Car Show on Saturday will have an exciting special guest, a driverless car from WAYMO. In addition to an eye-catching bevy of classic auto beauties (by invitation only) visitors will be able to see, touch and explore the car of the future: Representatives from WAYMO will be on hand to demonstrate how the LIDAR (the autonomous driving technology) works to help these all-electric vehicles carefully navigate roads and stay ahead of the curve. The car show will also feature rollicking live music by Bear Mountain Brass Band from 12 to 2 pm. (Rain Date: Sunday, October 18th).

Another special Saturday event will be "The Art of the Game" sponsored by RXR Clinton Park: Visitors can view gameboard inspired art, hear live music and experience the mah jongg craze firsthand.

The rest of the ArtsFest calendar is packed with exciting activities and events for all ages and every taste. An official print version of the ArtsFest calendar will be mailed directly to city residents and will be available at participating venues as well as online at NRCA’s website newrochellearts.org.

ArtsFest is organized by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. The mission of NRCA (founded in 1975) is to encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts, and for 50 years NRCA has sponsored art exhibitions, theatricalproductions, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures, spoken word events, concert series and public art.Find out more about NRCA at newrochellearts.org.

The New Rochelle Council on the Arts is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive Ken Jenkins.