The weather this weekend is shaping up to be perfect. And that means Westporters will be able to enjoy an amazing schedule of outdoor activities.
First, there's the 41st annual Westport Fine Arts Festival on July 19 and 20 in downtown Westport CT. This popular show has remained a highlight for art-lovers, families, and anyone looking for a wonderful, outdoor summertime experience. People come from throughout New England and the tri-state area to enjoy live music, unique street performances, children's activities, and the opportunity to purchase unique, quality, original works of art.
Each year the Westport Downtown Merchants Association brings talented artists from across the country to exhibit works in a wide variety of media: painting, watercolor, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, photography, and the recently added categories of glass, ceramics, fiber, jewelry, wood, and digital art. The selection jury is careful to bring new artists to the show; this year 39 first-time exhibitors will be featured.
The scheduled for the Fine Arts Festival is: Saturday July 19: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sunday, July 20: 10:00am – 5:00pm, Parker Harding Plaza & Gorham Island, Westport, CT. Free admission. For more information, visit www.westportdma.com.
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This is also the weekend of the Westport Library's 22nd annual giant Bookstravaganza book sale.
Come dig for deals under the big tent and inside the Library, where over 80,000 items in more than 50 categories from art to zoology will be available at bargain prices on Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20, from 9 am-6 pm; Monday, July 21, from 9 am-6 pm, when everything is half-price; and Tuesday, July 22, from 9 am-1 pm, when donations are welcome.
Of local interest are civil rights books, some signed and dating back to the Freedom Summer of 1964, from the estate of Westport writer and artist Tracy Sugarman.
Book donations to the Library are welcome year-round. Bring them to the Circulation Desk, or call 203.291.4840 to have them picked up from your home. To volunteer at the sale, contact Suzy Hooper at 203.434.7344 orgeosoo143@yahoo.com, or download or pick up a volunteer form at the Circulation Desk.
For further information about the book sale, phone 203.291.4800, or check www.westportlibrary.org.
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And finally, there's Jose Feliciano at the Levitt Pavilion. While this free concert is already sold out, those who reserved tickets in advance can enjoy the sounds of 9-time Grammy Award Winner Jose Feliciano, acclaimed by critics around the world as "The Greatest Living Guitarist", on the lawn, and everyone can listen to the sound floating over the Library's lawn and the Saugatuck River. The concert commemorates and celebrates the opening of the all-new Levitt Pavilion and launches the Inaugural Summer Season in the new outdoor facility. Mr. Feliciano has donated his performance fee in order to support the ongoing Campaign for a New Levitt Pavilion, which will announce its final phase that same day.