Looking for something fun to do next weekend? The 2nd annual Picnic Music and Arts Festival is coming back to Lincoln Park in Portland, located on the corner of Congress Street and Franklin Arterial.
If you missed Picnic last year, you should know that this will be a unique kind of local festival that will be well worth stopping by and checking out.
The event is being organized this year by five Portland artists who collaborate with one another to bring together live bands, local DIY crafts, fine arts, photography, and more.
Ron Harrity is the founder of Portland -based record label Peapod Records and is in charge of the music aspect of the event.
Harrity says that the event has grown considerably since last year, will offer even more bands and a bigger venue than last year’s festival.
“We actually had to turn people away for the first time, it has definitely grown pretty quickly” says Harrity. There will be about ten different bands playing at Picnic, all with an alternative/indie rock vibe.
The music includes acts such as Mark Summers, Big Big Bucks, Bat Shelter, and more. The bands will be setting up by the Lincoln Park fountain and playing from 11am to 6 pm.
Harrity hopes that they will soon be able to make Picnic even more than just an annual event, with aspirations to hold a Picnic Music and Arts Festival in both the spring and fall, and also one indoors for the holiday season with softer types of musical acts playing.
Lauren Simone, a local Portland artist and teacher who will be selling her crafts at Picnic, is also excited about the event. Her art is composed of watercolor, thread, and ink and tea stains and she will be selling various hand-made maps, prints, map necklaces and cards.
Simone says that she is “really looking forward to the festival” and the opportunities that a local arts fair like Picnic presents.
Simone’s one-of-a-kind artwork is just one example of the types of wares being sold; there will be over one hundred different vendors who will be selling all sorts of crafts from handmade jewelry to t-shirts to custom-made guitar pedals.
Local illustrator Eric Hou was pleasantly surprised by last year’s turnout, and is excited to once again sell his screen-printed postcards, t-shirts, and buttons at this year’s Picnic.
“We had a great time, we thought it was just going to be a small event, but it turned out to be really busy,” said Hou, whose prints feature cuddly-looking creatures dressed to the nines as everything from sailors, to janitors and boxers.
Fair-goers will have the opportunity to look at the crafts, talk to the artists, and purchase their own pieces.
The events will go on all day Saturday, September 12th in the park. Admission to the festival is free. In addition to the music and local artists, Picnic will also offer yard games such as bocce ball and badminton.
Picnic organizers hope that having the event centrally located will help to bring out all different members of the community; so USM students and everyone else are encouraged to walk down, grab a seat on the grass, and enjoy the festivities!