NORWICH — Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival returns to downtown Norwich September 11 through 13, celebrating its 32nd year in East and West parks. The weekend event will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday with a concert by the Hudson Valley Slambovian Circus of Dreams.

Colorscape’s main stage music coordinator Nate Gross said they wanted to create something special that signals the beginning of Colorscape weekend and gives visitors a reason to come to Norwich earlier and stay longer.

“The Slambovian Circus of Dreams felt like the perfect artist to launch this new tradition,” Gross said.

Twenty years ago, the group came together to create a blend of Woodstock-tinged psychedelia with a hint of southern rock, Celtic and British folklore and solid songwriting.

Admission and all activities are entirely free. Saturday hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the opening ceremony taking place at 11 a.m. on the NBT Main Stage. Sunday hours will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The three-day event draws between 10,000 and 12,000 visitors and features more than 120 regional and national juried artists displaying and selling paintings, sculptures, photography, pottery, jewelry, fine fiber crafts and more.

Additional experiences include interactive creative activities.

Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival Executive Director Michele Ericksen said this year’s lineup is what will make this Colorscape very special.

“You’ll hear nationally touring artists alongside regional favorites, experience multiple artistic disciplines and discover performers you may not have encountered before,” Ericksen said.

Artisans and crafters will also converge for an upcoming regional showcase, offering visitors an opportunity to view diverse artistic creations, converse directly with makers and purchase handmade goods.

The extensive marketplace will feature a wide-ranging inventory spanning traditional and contemporary items and includes ceramics, fiber works, housewares, silver jewelry, apparel, pastel drawings, handmade candles, linoleum prints, acrylic paintings, art baskets, hand-carved plexiglass, leatherwork, photography, wind chimes, clay earrings, turned wood, mixed-media collages, handcrafted spoons, leaf art, woodcrafts and watercolors.

Ericksen said a large number of last year’s award winners are returning this year, including several first-place winners.

Best Booth: Diane Sullivan Design; first in Drawings, Pastels & Prints: RC Oster; first in Wearable Fiber: Lis & Michael Barsuglia-Madsen; first in Glass: Helpless Moon Fused Glass; first in Jewelry: Sarah Jordan; first in Acrylic & Oils: Gary Lawrence; first in Photography: Lee Ingraham; and first in Watercolors and second in Ceramics: Rachel Consolazio.

Additional participants will include Alaina Hall, Anni Mailiki, Art Baird, Michael Price, Dale Bowers, Darcy Stricker, David C. Baxter, Joseph Reboh, John Harding, Jennifer Barnaby, Marissa Perkins, Megan Kinney, Meryl Davis, Matthias Kern, Terry Smith, Susan Sims, Stefan Foster, Wayne Lair and William Grimes, alongside numerous other regional and national exhibitors.

In addition to visual arts, Colorscape showcases professional singer-songwriters across three performance stages, literary and poetry readings, creative culinary vendors and hands-on art activities designed for all ages.

The NBT Main Stage in East Park features a lineup of Americana, roots rock, brass, reggae, folk, poetry and singer-songwriter acts. Featured performers include YARN, Jamie McLean Band, The Big Takeover, Maddy Walsh & The Blindspots, The Rollin' Rust, Alpha Brass Band and Sunday headliner Adam Ezra Group.

Poet Fanta Ballo performs spoken word on Saturday, while Sunday's FIRE (Females Inspire Rock Empower) Songwriters Round highlights women artists.

The weekend also includes the annual Student Art Show Presentation celebrating local youth creativity. Colorscape's additional performance stages feature local and regional acts across the weekend.

Peggy’s Stage highlights local talent including Angelwood Celtic & Folk, Simmerin' Stew and George Anderson.

The Art Zone Stage offers family-friendly entertainment such as the Carle School of Irish Dance, Paper Heart Puppets, Julie Burns and The Skinny German Juggle Boy.

Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival, held in East and West parks, is a rain-or-shine celebration of premier artists, renowned musicians, poets, food and interactive art activities. The festival has been held in downtown Norwich since 1995.

According to the Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival website, the festival operates entirely free of charge thanks to the generosity of its many partners.

Their support enhances the quality of cultural life in this rural area by advancing arts education, fostering civic pride, expanding tourism and stimulating economic development.

Through their sponsorship, those partners demonstrate a strong commitment to giving back to the community.

Festival organizers invite the public to join in thanking them for partnering to make Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival the premier arts festival in upstate New York.

For more information, including a full schedule of performers, a map of exhibits and a list of partners and sponsors, visit colorscape.org.

NBT Main Stage

Friday, Sept. 11


7 p.m.: The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Saturday, Sept. 12


10 a.m.: Alpha Brass Band


11 a.m.: Opening Ceremony


11:15 a.m.: Poet Fanta Ballo


11:30 a.m.: J. Schnitt


12:40 p.m.: Poet Fanta Ballo


1 p.m.: Jamie McLean Band


2:30 p.m.: The Rollin’ Rust


4 p.m.: YARN

Sunday, Sept. 13


11 a.m.: FIRE (Females Inspire Rock Empower) Songwriters Round


12:30 p.m.: The Big Takeover


2 p.m.: Maddy Walsh & The Blindspots


3:10 p.m.: Colorscape’s Student Art Show Award Ceremony


3:30 p.m.: Adam Ezra Group

Peggy’s Stage

Saturday, Sept. 12


10 a.m.: George Anderson


11:30 a.m.: Tin Pan Alley


1 p.m.: Angelwood Celtic & Folk


2:30 p.m.: Simmerin’ Stew


4 p.m.: Realtime Dixieland Band

Sunday, Sept. 13


11 a.m.: Rachel Beverly


12:30 p.m.: The Dovetones


2 p.m.: Cielle On Solid Ground


3:30 p.m.: Unity Group

Art Zone Stage

Saturday, Sept. 12


10 a.m.: Julie Burns Music; African Drum Circle: An interactive history of drums in African culture.


11 a.m.: Paper Heart Puppets


1 p.m.: Carle Irish Dance


2 p.m.: Julie Burns Music; African Drum Circle: An Interactive Story


3 p.m.: Paper Heart Puppets


4 p.m.: Julie Burns Music; African Drum Circle: An interactive history of drums in African culture

Sunday, Sept. 13


11 a.m.: The Skinny German Juggle Boy


Noon: Paper Heart Puppets


1 p.m.: Juggler Extraordinaire Will Stafford


2 p.m.: Paper Heart Puppets


3 p.m.: The Skinny German Juggle Boy