1st Friday

heads to

Nashville

PUTNAM — On the eve of Labor Day weekend, downtown Putnam will be filled with the sights and sounds of the First Fridays festival. This fifth evening of the 2016 season continues the artistic road trip through the USA, this time moving to the southeastern state of Tennessee and the iconic city of Nashville. With live music, dancing, and a wide variety of art vendors and gallery openings, First Fridays will be the perfect way to kick-off the holiday weekend. From 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 2, the public is invited to celebrate the unique culture of this musical city. 

All are welcome to this free, award-winning outdoor art festival! For more information on the event, as well as information on the final evening of the festival on Oct. 7, visit: www.discoverputnam.com. 

September’s event will see a record number of art vendors on both Main Street and in Union Square in downtown Putnam. As the summer heat begins to cool, visitors will have the opportunity to stroll the streets of Putnam, enjoying al fresco dining, outdoor and indoor shopping, and live music. Headlining the September event is Tequila Bonfire, a country rock band out of Central Massachusetts. This quartet will be playing the latest country hits by the biggest country stars. Hearing the sounds of Tequila Bonfire will make listeners believe they are in Nashville. In the Union Square section of the festival, the Junkyard Heartstrings will play live music throughout the evening. Performing songs from the ’60s to the present in a variety of genres, the Junkyard Heartstrings will play the songs that everyone knows and loves, while also tastefully selecting deeper cuts from artists that appeal to the die-hard music fan.

Throughout the last several seasons of First Fridays events, the Community Arts committee has been known to create fun art projects inspired by each month’s theme. For September, the Community Arts committee invites all ages to “boot, scoot, and boogie on down” to learn how to line dance at their booth. Participants can show off their new skills on Main Street as Tequila Bonfire plays a variety of country tunes all evening long.

Another creative committee bringing dynamic artwork to the First Fridays festival is the Stealthy Street Art Crew. For the 2016 season, the Crew has been working on a season-long art project named the Kinetic Bike Sculpture. Head to 114 Main St. to see the latest addition to the project. In addition to the Kinetic Bike Sculpture, visitors are encouraged to be on the lookout for some over-sized cowboy hats throughout downtown Putnam during the September event.

With Nashville’s nickname “Music City” – it is fitting that the September scavenger-hunt contest will be all about music. In honor of the rich musical history of Nashville, the contest will include a search around the festival grounds for cleverly hidden 45 records. Visitors to the festival are encouraged to look for the records, hidden in plain sight around Main Street and Union Square. Those that find the records can return them to the Putnam Business Association table for a chance to win a package including tickets to the upcoming October 1st New England Acoustic Music Festival, and dinner at one of Putnam’s restaurants. The contest will start at 6:00 pm sharp and only one entry per family will be accepted.

 

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