Hundreds of people attended concerts, kids’ activities, and more at the Orono Arts Fest this weekend—a reimagining of Artsapalooza.
ORONO, Maine — Hundreds of people attended concerts, kids’ activities, and more at the Orono Arts Fest this weekend.
The festival is a reimagining of Orono’s annual Artsapalooza, which was held for the past 13 years.
After a whole weekend of arts and performances, the festival concluded Sunday with an artists’ market with 40 unique vendors.
“The musicians, the performing artists, the visual artists here at the market are all Maine-based artists, and so it’s really a celebration of not only arts in general, but of Maine arts and Maine artists,” MJ Sedlock, Orono Arts Fest producer, said.
One of those artists is Adrian Wingard. He’s been creating art out of reclaimed wood for 20 years.
“I do this as a hobby and for therapy,” Wingard said.
The arts fest was Wingard’s first time selling at a market. Though making art is a solitary process for him, he was glad to get his art out there.
“It’s great because, in the eye of the beholder, people often see things and suggest ideas, and a lot of the time, I’ll take that with me,” Wingard said. “I always want to continue to push the envelope.”
Many Orono Arts Fest shoppers were happy to come out to support local artists like Wingard.
“Everything is really nice, and hand-made, and made in Maine,” shopper Violet Paquette said. “Everybody’s just really nice here.”
Paquette’s stepmother, Cassie Paquette, similarly enjoyed her experience buying from artists. “We would prefer always to choose something local and hand-made,” she said.
The festival also economically benefits the town of Orono, which slows down in the summer when its college students are away.
“Bringing people in, visiting our local bars and restaurants and shops is just phenomenal,” Jacob Baker, Orono town councilor, said.
But the festival almost didn’t happen this year.
The nonprofit that hosted Artsapalooza for 13 years decided it would not continue. But now, the festival is living on under a new name.
“Do what Artsapalooza was doing, but then also just add more to it, expand out the time frame, let more people be a part of more things,” Sedlock said.
Sedlock stepped up to produce this year’s reimagined festival, to keep the arts thriving in Orono. “Having arts be accessible and low cost in communities where people live,” she said.
Councilor Baker said the yearly arts festival is a key part of Orono’s arts culture.
“It’s just so important to this town, and it was important for the town to continue to fund it year after year,” he said.
Organizers and the town plan to continue supporting the arts and hope to expand the festival in the future.
