Mosaic Street Painting Festival Returns to Riverhead May 26

Grab your chalk and get ready for the Mosaic Street Painting Festival in Riverhead on Sunday, May 26.

The Mosaic Street Painting Festival, started by East End Arts (EEA) in 1972, has been a highly anticipated event for nearly 30 years and is the culmination of the nonprofit organization’s artistic mission to bolster creativity and its community. It draws its inspiration from the Incontro Nazionale dei Madonnari event in Grazie di Curtatone, Italy, which sees the village streets converted into works of chalk art by talented street artists.

Taking place in the Riverhead Arts District from noon–5 p.m., the festival invites families to purchase squares, on-site or in advance, of street space for as little as $25. On each reserved plot, children and adults can create whatever type of design they desire, using their own chalk or the high-quality chalk sold on site.

There is free parking on both the north and south sides of East Main Street in Downtown Riverhead. Visitors can also park in any legal street parking in the surrounding area.

In addition to the street adornment, which visitors can pay to partake in or admire for free, the Mosaic Street Painting Festival features a stage where local musicians and EEA student dancers and bands perform. There are also numerous vendor booths to browse, selling everything from art to jewelry to specialty food items.

“(There is) a lot of art, in all its forms,” says Diane Burke, EEA executive and development director. “This is an event that is really, really neat. People actually bump into old friends, and just have a really nice day. It’s an event that’s warm and welcoming for everyone.”

Between EEA and Burke’s commitment to cultivating the talents of local artists and the overwhelming support of the event from participating families and businesses, the Mosaic Street Painting Festival is a testament to Riverhead’s passionate community and a showcase of unique, beautiful — and fleeting — chalk art.

For more information about the Riverhead Mosaic Street Painting Festival, email info@eastendarts.org or visit eastendarts.org. To learn about the various programs offered at East End Arts in Riverhead, call 631-369-2171 for the arts and music school located at 141 East Main Street, or 631-727-0900 for the gallery and offices at 133 East Main Street.