ArtsFest 2025 Returns Thursday, October 16th to Sunday, Oct. 19th

ArtsFest 2025 – the exciting weekend-long celebration of the arts -- will take place in New Rochelle and surrounding communities from Thursday, October 16th through Sunday, October 19th. The action-packed weekend includes a return visit from The MOTH Radio Hour, open artists’ studios, live music and dance, film screenings, art exhibits, a classic car show, a Makers Market, spoken word events and walking tours, a free trolley ride to view New Rochelle’s murals, and interactive activities for all ages.

Now in its 17th 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 Golden 50 Year Grand Sponsor Cappelli Organization and LRC Construction, ArtsWestchester, The Gwendolyn Appleyard Trust Fund for New Rochelle Charities, New Rochelle CLD, Montefiore New Rochelle, Town House Kitchen + Drinks and Alvin & Friends, plus in-kind donors The Dining Lab at Monroe University, AJ’s Burgers, The Picture House, the New Rochelle Public Library, The Atelier, and Hotel NoMa.

ArtsFest kicks off Thursday with six art exhibits during the day and a collaborative mural-making project at Town House Kitchen + Drinks; that evening an invitation-only cocktail party at The Dining Lab at Monroe University will include an exhibition of food photography. NRCA is sponsoring two other events Thursday evening, a seminar for writers (The Quill Collective) and a production of Undead: A Dracula Story at the Ossie Davis Theater at the New Rochelle Public Library.

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

Among the highlights : The acclaimed Moth Story Hour will return to New Rochelle for ArtsFest on Friday, October 17th with one of its popular Story SLAMs – a live, open mic storytelling competition in which anyone can sign up to share a five-minute story on the night’s theme: Ten lucky audience members, picked at random, vie for the chance to be crowned the night’s StorySLAM champion. Tickets cost $15 and are available in advance from https://themoth.org/events/trap-new-rochelle-2025 . A limited number of tickets may be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

The annual Arts Fest Dance Festival is back, this time on stage at Albert Leonard Middle School, showcasing free performances by both professional and amateur companies, and the ArtsFest Makers Market returns with live music, food trucks and 40 vendors on the grounds of Thomas Paine Cottage. New this year there will also be a Youth Makers Market that will enable kids aged 7 to 17 to explore the world of entrepreneurship through hands-on selling experiences, with products crafted by the kids themselves.

New Rochelle’s NRNY Murals (a collaboration between NRCA, Street Art for Mankind and the City of New Rochelle) are the focus of a “Murals Run” organized by New Ro Runners as well as a guided trolley tour with NRCA docents providing the backstory behind some of the city’s most-loved public art. Other walking tours include a hands-on mobile photo workshop (SNAP: A Downtown Architecture Photo Walk), a food-focused tour with chef and cookbook author Arlen Gargagliano popping into various restaurants, and – to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ragtime -- a self-guided tour of Doctorow’s New Rochelle (the city provided inspiration for the novel, musical and movie).

Back for its second year the ArtsFest Fim Festival will be a two-day celebration of independent cinema at The Picture House in Pelham; panel discussions hosted by industry professionals will add even more depth and insight to the festival experience. And of course the calendar is packed with exciting musical performances and events for all ages and every taste.

An official ArtsFest calendar will be mailed to city residents and available at venues as well as online at NRCA’s website www.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, theatrical productions, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures, spoken word events, concert series and public art. Find out more about NRCA at www.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.