The Londonderry Arts Council and Londonderry Historical Society will host their first “Summer Finale” celebration of local art next month, and are planning for the event to be an annual occurrence.
Those organizing the community event, to be held Saturday, Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Morrison House Museum site on Pillsbury Road, hope to see Summer Finale become a signature event for Londonderry and the region.
“I’m hoping this event will put Londonderry on the map. If we could have that type of draw from surrounding areas, that would be very exciting,” said Barbara Scott, a member of the Arts Council and event organizer.
Summer Finale replaces Art on the Common and has a broader focus than the Town’s Old Home Day.
Live musicians will perform throughout the day, framed by the entrances to the Parmenter Barn and the Clark Smith BlacksmithShop; and artist tents and vendor tables will be clustered throughout the property, offering artwork, fine crafts, food, and information of local interest.
“We’re trying to make it more interactive with the public – it’s an event where people can grab a bite to eat and not only look at art, but also fine crafts by a variety of artisans, so people will get a nice sampling of talent in Londonderry and surrounding communities,” Scott said.
During the last week of summer, the celebration will fill a gap in southern New Hampshire to recognize and appreciate fine artists, artisans and musicians, according to the Arts Council.
“We want this to be a really big deal,” Scott said. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the end of summer, and we wanted to broaden the show by including not only artists and artisans, but also activities for children and adults.”
Various musical acts will perform in one-hour windows throughout the day, with the small groupings to give the celebration “a nice flavor,” Scott said.
Acoustic musicians will perform from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Blacksmith Shop; local band the Last Duo will perform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the barn entrance; acoustic musicians will perform from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Blacksmith Shop; and local band The New Englanders will perform from 2 to 4 p.m. in the barn entrance.
To learn more about Summer Finale or for an application to participate as an artist, email the Arts Council at summerfinale@LondonderryArtsCouncil.org, or call Susan Hanna at 582-4777.
Rain date for Summer Finale is Sept. 20.
Information and updates regarding the event are available on Facebook under “Summer Finale! Live Music, Fine Art & Fun!”