Music and Arts Festival of the Tonawandas to take place in City of Tonawanda, North Tonawanda
The Carnegie Art Center and Gateway Harbor will host the first Music and Arts Festival of the Tonawandas in Tonawanda and North Tonawanda from July 31 through Aug. 4. The event will feature a variety of music, art, food, art activities for families and more on both sides of the Gateway Harbor, in addition to local businesses, galleries and museums in both cities.
This event will celebrate the rich history and strong art communities of the Tonawandas. A full schedule of events and updates can be found on the event's Facebook page.
The Music and Arts Festival of the Tonawandas will kick off Tuesday, July 31. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Corning Glass Barge and the Lois McClue Boat will be parked in the Gateway Harbor and will host open tours for the public. Webster's Bistro will host a "Farm to Table Block Party" that evening. At 5 p.m., Webster's Bistro will host painters, musicians and chefs demonstrating visual and culinary arts outside on the street. Dinner will begin approximately at 7 p.m. and feature a farm-to-table theme, where attendees will gather around communal tables. Local artist Jody Ziehm will be the featured artist at this event. Reservations for the dinner can be made by calling Webster's Bistro directly.
•From 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, Gateway Harbor will host "The Who Tribute Concert" for free on the North Tonawanda side. The concert will also feature a guest visual artist.
•On Thursday, from 5-8 p.m., Gateway Harbor will feature "Food Truck Thursday" on the Tonawanda side in the Young Street "hub." Featured will be food trucks, live music, a craft show and other activities.
•At 8 p.m. Friday, The Historic Riviera Theatre will host a Shania Twain & Garth Brooks Tribute band. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased on the theater's website or at the box office.
•Art festival week will close Saturday with a daylong "Art Walk" in North Tonawanda and Tonawanda. The event will feature art shows and family-friendly activities at galleries, businesses and museums, including:
•10 a.m. until 2 p.m.: Art activities for kids on the Tonawanda (Young Street hub) and North Tonawanda sides of Gateway Harbor, in addition to local food and live music.
•10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Various locations around T-NT will showcase artists and art activities, including the Carnegie Art Center, local galleries, the Downtown Merchants Association and the Oliver Street Merchants Association (highlighting the Oliver Street Art Festival hosted by the Project 308 Gallery). A full schedule of events and locations will be available online and as a printout.
•4-6 p.m.: An art auction will take place at the Carnegie Art Center and feature work created during the Music & Arts Festival. Proceeds will benefit the participating artists and the 2019 festival.
The Music and Arts Festival of the Tonawandas is made possible by a committee made up of community members from the Carnegie Art Center, Gateway Harbor, River Art Gallery, Project 308 Gallery, Partners in Art, North Tonawanda and Tonawanda youth centers and local businesses. The committee is currently seeking sponsors to support the festival. Sponsorships start at $25. The committee is also seeking artists to participate and venues to host artists. These inquiries can be sent to
[email protected].
