Some people may find art stuffy and inaccessible. Parents of young children may be hesitant to bring their kids to art museums for fear of them touching the art or being too loud. However, there are many benefits to exposing kids to art, especially from a young age. Some of these benefits include improving fine motor skills, promoting creativity and helping them better understand the world around them. White Plains based ArtsWestchester has a mission, “to create an equitable, vibrant and sustainable Westchester County in which the arts are integral to and integrated into every facet of life.“ One way they are fulfilling this mission is by bringing the Serious Fun Arts Fest to White Plains. This is a five day outdoor, street art festival.
Just as the name describes, the Serious Fun Arts Fest is sure to be five filled days of fun! This is an event for art lovers of all ages and is very family-friendly. The festival has been put together by ArtsWestchester in collaboration with the New York State Division of Tourism’s, I LOVE NY. Taking place from October 12 – 16, there will be public artworks, music performances, gallery openings, family activities and more.
Altogether, the works of over 200 New York State artists will be featured. Some local artists being featured include Katonah ‘s Christopher Rios, White Plains resident, Erwin Ong and Nyack’s Chris Soria.
The fun kicks off Wednesday, October 12th with One Martine Gallery and the Serious Fun Art Fair at The Galleria, both opening at 10 AM. Live music performances begin at 12 PM and continue throughout the day until 10 PM. Every day of the festival the ArtsMobile will be onsite, with family fun art-making activities.
ArtsMobile Schedule:
Wednesday Oct. 12 (3-5pm)
• Visual art activity with teaching artist TBD – at Renaissance Plaza
Thursday Oct. 13 (3-5pm)
• Contribute to a communal watercolor artwork and/or create a painting to take home with teaching artist Erin Carney – at Renaissance Plaza
Friday Oct. 14 (3-5pm)
• Participate in building a community sculpture from recycled boxes with teaching artist Miguel Cossio – at Renaissance Plaza
Saturday Oct. 15 (11am-2pm)
• Ceramics/clay activity with teaching artist Vicky Youngman – at Renaissance Plaza
• Visual art workshop with teaching artist Aisha Nailah – on Mamaroneck Avenue
• Paper animal sculptures with teaching artist Richela Fabian Morgan – on Mamaroneck Avenue
• Visual art activity with teaching artist Ronit Levin Delgado – on Mamaroneck Avenue
• (11:30am-12:15pm) Family Fun: Songs From the Middle East with Matt Turk & Friends (part of the Serious Fun Block Party) – on Mamaroneck Avenue
Sunday Oct. 16 (11am-2pm)
• Art-making with the ArtsMobile – at Renaissance Plaza
Serious Fun Block Party
The highlight of the five day arts festival is the The Serious Fun Block Party. On Saturday, October 15th, beginning at 11:30 AM, there will be live music and dance performances, a poetry jam and more! Check out this lineup of family fun:
Performance Schedule:
11:30am-12:15pm: Family Fun: Songs From the Middle East with Matt Turk & Friends
12:30-1:15pm: Live-looping mastery of rootsy singer songwriter Will Evans (of Barefoot Truth)
1:30-2:20pm: Evolution of Cabaret (20th c. Soul/Pop Hits) with Porter Carroll, Jr.
2:35-3:25pm: Pop Now Grooves with REMY
3:40-4:30pm: Post-Rock Soundscapes with Wess Meets West
4:45-6pm: Indie Folk Rock with Slambovian Circus of Dreams
5:30-6:00pm: Reflective storytelling improv experience with NYC Queer Playback Theater.
Enjoy a Pop-Up Dance event as Westchester Dance Artists A HYPE SQUAD responds to the music from 2:30-5:30pm! (back end of concert area)
The five day festival closes out with a headliner concert by Sammy Rae & the Friends. This Brooklyn-based alternative band has indie and R&B influences and will sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Tickets to the headliner concert on Sunday at 5 PM cost $25.
When you get hungry, do not worry! One thing White Plains does not lack is an abundance of good restaurants. On just the festival concert stage block alone, there are seven restaurants to choose from, including Morton’s and nearby Greca. Both of these restaurants have even created a special cocktail in honor of the festival. Take a walk further down Mamaroneck Avenue or along the cross streets and the restaurant options are endless for all budgets and food preferences.
Come enjoy the Serious Fun Arts Fest. Whether it’s for one day, or all five, there’s something for everyone!
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