ArtsFest 2025
ArtsFest 2025 – the exciting weekend-long celebration of the arts — will take place in New Rochelle and surrounding communities from Thursday, October 16th through Sunday, October 19th. The action-packed weekend includes a return visit from The MOTH Radio Hour, open artists studios, live music and dance, film screenings, art exhibits, a classic car show, a Makers Market, spoken word events, a free trolley tour of New Rochelle’s murals, and interactive activities for all ages.
Now in its 17th year, ArtsFest is organized by the non-profit New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA) to spotlight the diversity of arts and artists in our community: Last year ArtsFest 2024 featured more than 50 venues representing the work of some 250 visual and performing artists.
Among the highlights of ArtsFest: The acclaimed Moth Story Hour will return to New Rochelle for ArtsFest on Friday, October 17th. The Moth will alight at Trinity Episcopal Church’s Parish Hall (311 Huguenot Street, New Rochelle) with one of its popular Story SLAMs – a live, open mic storytelling competition in which anyone can sign up to share a five-minute story on the night’s theme: Ten lucky audience members, picked at random, vie for the chance to be crowned the night’s StorySLAM champion. This year’s theme is… TRAP: “Prepare a five-minute story about a speed trap, mouse trap or emotional trap. Held hostage at your coworker’s Tupperware party, caught in a Ponzi scheme, clocked with radar on the highway or ensnared in a maddening tango with a rodent in the pantry. Or tell us how you broke free from psychological ambush, blackmail or a bad blind date.” Doors open at 6:30 PM; show starts at 7:30 PM. Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final. As many as 10 tickets may be available at the door for all StorySLAMs on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets to this event go on sale at 3 PM ET on September 17th at
https://themoth.org/events/trap-new-rochelle-2025
Other ArtsFest highlights include the Arts Fest Dance Festival, showcasing free performances by both professional and amateur companies, the ArtsFest Makers Market which will offer live music, food trucks and 40 vendors on the grounds of Thomas Paine Cottage, and the ArtsFest Fim Festival, back for its second year, with a two-day celebration of independent cinema on at the Picture House in Pelham. This year the event will include panel discussions hosted by industry professionals, adding even more depth and insight to the festival experience.
An official ArtsFest calendar will be mailed to city residents and available at venues as well as online at NRCA’s website www.newrochellearts.org.
ArtsFest is organized by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. The mission of NRCA (founded in 1975) is to encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts, and for 50 years NRCA has sponsored art exhibitions, theatrical productions, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures, spoken word events, concert series and public art. Find out more about NRCA at www.newrochellearts.org.
The New Rochelle Council on the Arts is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive Ken Jenkins.
