Adam Gundrum performs at the Rochester Downtown Partnership’s 2023 Nickel Plate Music & Arts Festival. This year’s event is on Saturday, Aug. 31. Photos by Joe Siciliano.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

ROCHESTER — There will be plenty of free activities for all ages at the Rochester Downtown Partnership’s Nickel Plate Music & Arts Festival.

The fourth annual event is set for Saturday, Aug. 31, in downtown Rochester.

Festivities begin with the parade with the theme of “Hometown Pride,” running from Rochester High School down 15th Street to Main Street to Eighth Street. It starts at 9 a.m., with the most recent Fulton County Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award winner Kendra Chudzynski serving as grand marshal.

Other festival events are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Festival organizer Christine Walsh, who handles promotions for RDP, emphasized that all parts of the festival aside from vendor purchases are free, including make-and-take art at a number of booths. Those projects will be available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There will be five performers comprising the festival’s music portion.

Pork N Beans takes the stage from 12:30-1:30 p.m., with the Indy Annies Duo next from 2-3:30 p.m. The Chicago Diamond Trio will perform from 4-5:30 p.m., and Malachi Jaggers will do so from 6-7:15 p.m.

The 1985 Band ends the night from 8-10 p.m.

Other activities at the festival include Sweetcakes Entertainment doing face painting, henna, balloon animals and caricatures from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a dunk tank and bouncy houses at the same times.

The latter two components are new this year, as is a gaga ball pit, which will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A chalk art contest is from 3:30-4:30 p.m. with prizes awarded.

Other organizations will also have booths at the festival, and there will be seven food vendors, selling everything from tacos to pretzels to mouse ears.

“I just think the community needs a summer event,” said Walsh of why the festival was being held again. “Like all the other communities, we definitely should have something, and music and arts incorporates everybody.”

She said she wanted attendees “to have a good time with their family, and (for) cost not (to be) a barrier for people to come and enjoy themselves.”

Walsh said she was grateful to the festival planning committee and volunteers for their help with the event. Those people include Josh Zehner, Ed and Amy Richard, Jeanie Griffith, Judi Leininger, Candi Patton and Brian Ringle.

Volunteers are still welcomed for the event, including for helping staff the art tables.

“They don’t have to have any skill in the arts,” said Walsh of potential volunteers.

People may learn how to volunteer by emailing [email protected].

“We’re already looking ahead to the festival next year,” added Walsh.