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The 64th annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival (MOAF) takes place on Saturday, August 13th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday, August 14th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The festival will include 200+ artists of all mediums showcasing their art from all around the United States. There is over a mile of art including oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, sculptures, photographs, woodwork, metal, and more. The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival is a FREE event and features activities and artwork for all ages to enjoy, including a Children's Art Park located in Mystic Shipyard and a performing arts component with free performances by the Thompson building at the Seaport on Friday and Saturday evening. Planned and executed by the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival is the oldest of its kind in the Northeast region, drawing thousands of people from around New England and beyond during this two-day event. This year is the 100th Anniversary of the Mystic Bascule Bridge and the theme of this year's Art Show is "Spanning a Century: Celebrating the Iconic Mystic Bascule Bridge." A special award will be given for a piece of art that best represents the history and unique architecture of the bridge. As a juried art show, the MOAF serves an audience of discriminating art enthusiasts, as well as weekend visitors and residents from surrounding communities including Groton, New London, Waterford, and Southern Rhode Island. The route has a natural progression into town beginning at the Mystic Seaport Shipyard. Out of the Shipyard it follows Bay Street to Holmes Street and all the way down Cottrell Street. It is an uninterrupted and safe path that is closed to traffic. It also allows for Route 1 traffic to remain unencumbered. The festival organizers are sticking with last year’s layout that worked seamlessly- increasing the ease of setup/breakdown, more parking options, and improved pedestrian flow. Bruce Flax, President of the Mystic Chamber said, “The new route that took the art festival off of Route 1 and into the Shipyard was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the artists and locals. No matter where you are on the festival route, you can see breathtaking views of the Mystic River.” The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival is proud to present the second annual Performing Arts Stage, which will be located on the Gallery Quad outside the Thompson Exhibition Building at the north entrance to Mystic Seaport Museum. The program will feature a variety of local and regional performers including, dance, music, and theater. Performances start at 6:30 PM and will run until approximately 8:30 PM each night. Admission is free! Rain or shine. Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. Refreshments will be available for cash-only purchase, no coolers please. A new app introduced this year by the Chamber, “Go Mystic”, can be downloaded to your smartphone from the App Store, available for both iPhone and Android users. This app allows you to be in the know and keep up to date with all things Mystic. This includes extra information and details about the art festival including artist names, performers, and a route map of the event. Limited edition pink tie-dye shirts will be available for purchase at our Information Booth, so be sure to come by to pick one of these up for yourself or a friend! If interested in volunteering, you may visit our website, https://www.mysticchamber.org/volunteer/ and click the “Register to Volunteer” button to directly apply or stop by our office at 22 East Main Street above HJ Smith Plumbing to further inquire about working with us for this event.