Bangor City Wide ARTober Festival To Happen Throughout October [INFO]

Another reason has popped up in Bangor to make us look forward to fall and it is called ARTober.

The City of Bangor's Commission on Cultural Development has announced the very first ARTober, a citywide celebration of arts and culture in Bangor set for this October 1-31, 2015. The kick off will be a free, all-ages party on October 2nd from 7-10 p.m. at the Union Street Brick Church (126 Union Street), featuring music from local bands Nevah and the Galley Rats, dance performances from the Haus of Paradigm and Robinson Ballet, food and a cash bar, and much more. Organizers of ARTober say that more than 70 events are planned in 30 venues across the city, from galleries and museums featuring visual artists, to musical performances, educational workshops, film screenings, lectures, walking tours, dance performances, and much more. Venues include the University of Maine Museum of Art, the Bangor Opera House, Bangor International Airport, the Bangor Mall, the Bangor Public Library, public parks, and a number of local shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses.

The majority of these events are free to the public and ARTober coincides with the National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM), a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. It is designed to encourage people to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of active participation in the arts.

An  ARTober guide features a listing of events, along with a map and breakdown of each hosting venue, and original artwork created by local artist Chris Peary. It is currently available at locations all over the city including City Hall, Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Bangor Public Library, and a number of downtown businesses. A downloadable, mobile-friendly PDF updated each week to reflect even more events than are listed in the print version is available online at bangormaine.gov/artober.

Funding for ARTober is provided by Maine Community Foundation, which awarded a $10,000 grant for the event to the City in 2015. In addition, many of the organizations and individuals planning ARTober events have contributed their own time and effort towards making ARTober a busy, exciting month.