PUTNAM — First Fridays will return to the streets of downtown Putnam on Friday, June 2 celebrating the iconic heroes of Action & Adventure 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. 

To learn more about the June First Fridays, as well as the 2017 season of events, visit http://www.discoverputnam.com/firstfriday.   

This second month of the 2017 First Fridays season will explore Action & Adventure films, one of six movie genres celebrated with the season-long theme, First Fridays Feature Films: A Celebration of Cinema. Visitors are invited to dress up as favorite characters from action & adventure films, with sci-fi and fantasy character cosplay also welcome and encouraged.

On Main Street, The Billy Pilgrim Band will be the headlining entertainment for the evening, starting at 6 p.m. Covering more than 60 years of songs, The Billy Pilgrim Band will give a new and exciting feel to both classic and modern numbers. Over in Union Square the Frost Brothers Duo will entertain the crowds.

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 June event, there will be three installations for patrons to observe. Randy Markes, a Pomfret-based temporary environmental artist, will create an installation of Cairns. Photographer Steve Veilleux will combine images in layers with partial and recombined parcels. And Forrest Curl, a Providence-based multi-media artist, will create a large-scale mural painting performance piece.

The fun continues at the Community Arts Table. June’s project is focused on creating super hero masks. Children and adults can transform into the hero of their own movie and create a signature mask to take home. There will also be a fun photo op with a backdrop for superhero selfies. 

Above all else, First Fridays remains an art-based festival, and the June 2 event will see a record number of art vendors lining Main Street and Union Square in downtown Putnam. Coupled with outdoor art vendors, the many galleries of Putnam will also feature openings and exhibitions. Stop by Arts & Framing, Artique, The Flying Carpet Studio, and The Complex Performing & Creative Arts Centre to see what they have on display. 

What better way to begin the month of June? Dress the part and discover this award-winning annual festival.