LYNN — The Lynn Arts and Culture Festival will be back for its second edition next week.
“This festival is a great way to showcase our residents’ talents and our expanding arts and culture scene,” Mayor Jared Nicholson said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome all those attending this event and to celebrate our amazing cultural diversity.”
The festival, which will take place on Aug. 12 from 11:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., includes six locations offering live music, food from a variety of cultures, and activities for kids and adults alike, as well as works from local artists.
According to Sunil Gulab, an organizer of the festival, one of its main goals is to show what Lynn has to offer not only to those who live in the city, but also to those who come to visit for the event.
“We’re up against a stigma that’s very negative and it’s very old,” Gulab, a project manager at Creative Cities Lynn, said. “(The city is) not dangerous, it’s not ugly, it’s not the way people think of it.”
2023 will be the second straight year the city has hosted the festival, which was held in July at three locations last year. Gulab said that more than 2,500 people attended the inaugural festival.
This year, Gulab said he expects more than 5,000 people will come for the festivities.
Locations hosting the festival’s mostly free activities and events this year are Goldfish Pond, Downtown Lynn Cultural District, Red Rock Park, Lincoln Street, Bent Water Brewing Company, and High Rock Park. Red Rock Park will host the Diversity Matters Festival during the event, while Lincoln Street will be the site of the Haitian Festival.
Attendees will be able to get around the city via two trolleys with live music on board, which will take passengers past many of the city’s murals painted by Beyond Walls Lynn as they travel to the festival’s other locations.
The event is mostly funded by grants from organizations like the Lynn Cultural Council.
A full list of the event’s locations and schedules can be found at visitlynnma.org.
Gulab said the long-term goal of the festival is to rival similar festivals held in nearby cities like Peabody, Lowell, and Lawrence.
“We have a lot to offer,” Gulab said. “The renaissance of Lynn has begun and we’re showcasing that.”
