Capital Arts Fest to Bring Art and Music to Downtown Concord Sept 24-25, 2022

Capital Arts Fest is on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25 on South Main Street in downtown Concord.

Area Artists Mix and Mingle with Live Music on Main Street Concord

The first full weekend of fall will feature more than just the gorgeous colors of the turning leaves. In the Capital City, art will be in full bloom as beautiful handmade crafts will be on display amidst exciting live music on the streets of downtown Concord. Capital Arts Fest 2022 brings craftsmen, performance artists, and musicians together starting Saturday, September 24. Visitors and vendors will line the streets for the annual event, co-sponsored by the League of NH Craftsmen, Capitol Center for the Arts, Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, and Intown Concord, and with generous support from the State of New Hampshire and the City of Concord.

The League of NH Craftsmen will present a Fine Art and Craft Fair on South Main Street showcasing the handcrafted work of juried members and invited artists. Items include metal, jewelry, wood, glass, printmaking, fiber and more. Artist tents will line the downtown street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

In addition, live music will play on the main stage until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and until 4 p.m. on Sunday. These special outdoor concerts are coordinated by the Capitol Center for the Arts and presented free of charge. Headlining acts this year include 70’s chart-topping band Firefall and the Screaming Orphans, a genre-bending all-sister band from Ireland. Firefall has enjoyed a career spanning more than forty years, with three Gold albums, two Platinum albums and eleven chart topping singles including “You are the Woman”. The Screaming Orphans are known for both their original pop songs as well as their unique take on traditional Irish music.

“We are always excited to celebrate the arts here in the Capital City,” explains Miriam Carter, Executive Director of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. “This year, we are encouraging guests to the region and the state to take in these great downtown Concord events and see what makes the arts in New Hampshire so special.”

Visitors can also enjoy the opening weekend of the New Hampshire Potters’ Guild exhibition, ‘Storied in Clay’, hosted at League Headquarters, and special activities and performances including a historic walking tour of downtown Concord, Music Mix, Symphony NH Jazz Quartet, singer/songwriter Addison Chase, dance with Sindy Chown of Barranquilla Flavor, Andrew North and the Rangers, the Concord Coachmen Chorus, jazz and folk ensembles from the Concord Community Music School, and the pipes and drums of NHSCOT and Scottish highland dance. Guests can satisfy their hunger with a visit to participating food vendors including Chubba Wubba, Holy Moly Snacks, Col’s Kitchen and Batulo’s Kitchen.

 The performing and visual arts communities in the Capital region have seen exponential growth in recent decades. Concord has six performance arts spaces, including New Hampshire’s largest theater, the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre. Concord is also home to the headquarters of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, a nationally renowned organization of artists which has been in existence for over 90 years.

“This festival has been an important event in Concord since the award-winning Main Street renovation,” said Chamber President, Tim Sink. “We are thrilled to see Concord’s art scene continue to grow. Capital Arts Fest is a great way to celebrate these organizations, local artists, and musicians who make our city a great place to live.”

Find a detailed schedule of the Capital Arts Fest weekend events at visitconcord-nh.com/capital-arts-fest.

Incorporated in 1919, New Hampshire's state capital chamber of commerce—the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce—develops economic opportunities, strengthens the business climate and enhances quality of life in the Capital region.