PUTNAM — July 7 First Fridays will return to the streets of downtown Putnam, celebrating classic films. From 6 to 9 p.m., the outdoor art festival will see more than 50 art vendors, live music, family friendly activities, and art installations. Like all First Fridays, the event is free to the public and visitors are invited to discover the festival and the offerings of Putnam’s downtown, including al fresco dining, galleries, boutique shopping, and more. 

July’s event will explore the iconic characters and stories from classic films. One of six movie genres celebrated with the season-long theme, First Fridays Feature Films: A Celebration of Cinema, the July event invites visitors to revisit such films as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and more! As with all First Fridays events, creative cosplay is welcome and encouraged.

On Main Street, Chris MacKay & The Tone Shifters will grace the main stage from 6 to 9 p.m. This band combines blues, swing, country, rockabilly and funky swamp rock with a mix of originals and interesting covers into a tasty blend of danceable music. Over in Union Square Don Loghry will entertain the crowds, covering such classic crooners as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

New for the 2017 season is First Fridays Art Installations, which features local artists creating original work throughout each evening of the festival. During the July event, there will be installations from artists Kyle “The Copper Kid” and Clara Costabile.

The fun continues at the Community Arts Table with an art project for all ages. With inspiration from the Disney film, Wall-E, which features a junk robot who cleans an empty planet by day and watches and mimics scenes from the classic film Hello Dolly on repeat by night. Children and adults can create their own classic film-loving robot to take home. 

Above all else, First Fridays remains an art-based festival, and the July 7th event will see a record number of art vendors lining Main Street and Union Square in downtown Putnam. Patrons are invited to peruse the wide variety of artisan wares while enjoying the early summer weather.

For more info, go to http://www.discoverputnam.com/firstfriday.