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Health & Fitness

56th Annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival Coming this August

The 56h Annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival will be held August 10-11, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, along the streets of historic Downtown Mystic.

Over the weekend, more than 200 artists and artisans will come out to showcase over 100,000 pieces of artwork on either side of the Mystic Drawbridge.

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce began the festival in 1957 when Milton Baline, nephew of Irving Berlin, and several other art lovers proposed the idea that Mystic pattern a festival after the famous Washington Square Festival in New York. Today, it is one of the few remaining shows of its kind, with two miles of exhibits featuring oil paintings, watercolors, photography, sculpture, fine crafts and other media.

As years have passed, the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival has kept its feet firmly planted in the area. The Mystic community is once again demonstrating its pride through monetary donations, services provided by local businesses, and the time and hard work donated by over 100 dedicated area volunteers.

This year’s t-shirt design is an intricate orange octopus that was created by Teri Brunski. Teri has been involved in graphic design and marketing for over 30 years, with experience in all mediums, including print, web, television, and various forms of multimedia. Teri is presently employed in the marketing department at Chelsea Groton Bank.

The Children’s Art Park will be in full swing this year with two locations, one on each side of the river. While you’re visiting the festivities, stop by the Mystic Art Center’s galleries to cool off and enjoy the activities they have planned for both Saturday and Sunday. Across the river in the Mystic River Park, the Children’s Art Park will house a number of nonprofits who will offer a variety of crafts for children and their parents. The hours for the Children’s Art Park are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and all activities are free and open to the public.

The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. This year’s major sponsors include: Chelsea Groton Bank, Hall Communications Radio Stations 98.7 WNLC, 97.7 WCTY, ROXY 100.9, WICH 1310, and The New London Day. Other sponsors of the festival include: the Captain Daniel Packer Inne, Washington Trust Company, the Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa, Mercer & Bertsche Architecture & Engineering, People's United Bank, Courtyard Gallery, Grover Insurance, and M.J. Sauchuk, INC.

The Mystic Chamber still needs volunteers to fill the many positions required to make the Festival a success. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Cherie'lin Toporowski at the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce: 2 Roosevelt Avenue P.O. Box 143 Mystic, CT 06355 Phone: (860) 572-9578 E-mail: cherielin@mysticchamber.org. For more information on the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival, visit the Mystic Chamber website at www.mysticchamber.org.

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