The Community Mosaic street-painting festival celebrated its 30th anniversary Sunday in a new location and on a different weekend than usual, but enthusiastic chalk artists, music lovers and artisans turned out anyway.
The Mosaic festival took place on West Second Street and in the parking lot behind Town Hall, off Railroad Avenue. Artists decorated the street, sidewalks and parking lot with colorful creations, as visitors browsed the offerings of artisans, kids and adults enjoyed a drum circle, face-painting, entertainers, live music, plenty to eat and drink.
The relocation of the festival was made necessary by the ongoing downtown construction, which made logistics for the festival on Main Street difficult and use of the East End Arts Council grounds impossible.
The East End Arts and Humanities Council launched the festival in 1996 on the roadway along the Peconic Riverfront and the grounds of the arts council. It later expanded onto Main Street and then moved off the riverfront roadway, with chalk art creations only on the pavement of East Main Street. Nearly every year, it’s been held on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, except during the coronavirus pandemic. The festival went virtual in May 2020 and was held in September in 2021.
As Long Island’s first — and currently its only — chalk art festival, the Mosaic has been a popular attraction, each year drawing thousands of visitors from across the region.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Emil Breitenbach Jr.
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