News

After talking with our street performers and facilities team, The Marblehead Festival of Arts has decided we have no choice but to cancel the Street Festival tomorrow in consideration of our performers' health. All other events will proceed as planned, and any further updates will be posted here and on our Facebook page. Stay safe, stay hydrated and enjoy the Festival tomorrow!

This year's cods and whales are back at Abbot Hall for the final leg of the auction, go check them out and place your bids before the end of the Marblehead Festival of Arts!

Artist Name TITLE AWARD EXHIBIT Emma Wilder Phases of Jasmine Honorable Mention Crafts Mercedes Joyce Abbot Hall Crown Deborah Ekholm Frost Award Crafts Lisa Richardson-Bach Tropicaltide Pool Carol Moore Award Crafts Diane Treadwell Open Water Best of Show Crafts Nora Falk Nordic Summer Cardigan, Size Xl Outstanding Work Crafts Dayle MacCormack Table Runner Honorable Mention Crafts Jay Worthen Pivoting Box Honorable Mention Crafts Jane Saunders Garden Totem Outstanding Work C

Use our Info Booths! Our two info booths will be staffed each day to answer questions about the Festival. Lost and Found Lost and Found will be at the Abbot Hall Info Booth. Get a Program! Bring home a keepsake and start a tradition! Our beautiful, 40-page, full color 2026 Commemorative Program is full of articles, information, and photos to give you an in-depth look at all things MFoA. Programs can be purchased at all our exhibit locations, both info booths, the logo store,

The Marblehead Festival of Arts is proud to announce the 2026 scholarship recipients: Stanislav "Stan" Almeda, Sara "Sadie" Beane, and Quinn Scheib.

In commemoration of our 60th Festival, enjoy this theme song for the Marblehead Festival of Arts, written and performed by Brian Wheeler for our 50th anniversary some years back.

Our 2025 Concerts @ Crocker Park Sound & Lights crew are the backbone of the shows, from load-in day on July 1, through the 16 concert performances leading up to our spectacular finale on July 4, and continuing through load-out on July 5.

Festival Blend Coffee, a limited-edition coffee from Marblehead Festival of Arts and Bond Coffee Roasters

For the first time ever, the 2026 MFoA Film Festival will be held at Warwick Cinemas! Grab a popcorn and some refreshments and enjoy incredible short films in a beautiful, air-conditioned theater!

The 2026 Cod & Whale First Look Party was an incredible time at Abbot Hall! Please see below for an in-depth look at the artists who made it happen in a video by Marblehead TV's James Maroney, and addition photos from the event by Dave Kinney. Credit: James Maroney, Marblehead TV

Aspiring and seasoned filmmakers: Submit your short film to the 2026 MFoA Film Festival!

This is your year! If you've ever wanted to see your art proudly displayed at a Festival exhibit, it all starts here! Apply now and submit your artwork for one of our 11 juried exhibitions!

This is your year! Enter your poetry or prose in the Festival's annual writing contest today! For many in Essex County, the Literary Festival’s annual writing contest is a highlight of the several-day event. Those who enter actively support the Festival’s mission to promote and foster the craft of the written word in Marblehead and surrounding communities. For admirers of entrants’ efforts, plan to hear our winners read their essays, poems, and short stories in the Lee Mansio

We are thrilled to announce the lineup for the 60th Festival Concerts @ Crocker Park Series!

The Robinson Collection Auction is now live for online bidding! Dr. Robinson was an avid fan of the Festival and collected 34 logos and other Festival memorabilia from 1983 to 2010, framed by Arnould Gallery. Additionally, the Robinson family has donated seven sculptures by Beverly Benson Seamans , an esteemed New England sculptor and granddaughter of John Prentiss Benson . This is your chance to own a piece of Marblehead history; an auction like this is truly a once-in-a-gen

We are proud to once again offer three $3000 scholarships to deserving high school senior students who reside or attend school in Marblehead.

Applications for the 2026 Marblehead Festival of Arts Artisans' Marketplace open on March 1 and end on March 31. Sally Marcy and Susan j Schrader are once again joining forces as co-chairs to put together an amazing three-day event in honor of the 60th Marblehead Festival of Arts!

Your business could be a strategic partner at the Concerts @ Crocker Park level. Limited opportunities available! The Marblehead Festival of Arts is proud to offer local businesses, individuals, and organizations of all types across Essex County and beyond the opportunity to partner with us for the 2026 Festival. This year, we have two tracks (business and individual) and multiple tiers to choose from, each with unique benefits. Tiers have been designed to offer benefits for

Due to high demand, speed puzzling is back, and it's bigger than ever! Join us for another fun Saturday morning competition with an all new 500-piece puzzle. You and your teammate will have two hours to complete your puzzle–fastest time wins! And this time, the teams with the fastest times will also qualify for our November Invitational event! Registration is first come, first serve and space is limited and filling up fast, so be sure to register to secure your place! Complim

Dr. Edward Joseph Robinson, Marblehead resident and longtime supporter of the Marblehead Festival of Arts. The Marblehead Festival of Arts, in partnership with the family of Dr. Edward Joseph Robinson, is proud to announce the auction of his collection of Festival logo art and sculptures. Produced by James Maroney, Marblehead TV. The auction will kick off with a First Look at Abbot Hall on Friday, March 6 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and will run through Sunday, April 5. Bidding

The winning logo design by student artist Brayden Coe! His inspiration and design will be featured in our 2026 logo, which will be used on all Festival material and merchandise.

January's speed puzzling event was a massive success! This sold out event featured 20 teams of two, competing at Abbot Hall to see who's the fastest in Marblehead to complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in under two hours. There were crowds in the overhead gallery, press coverage on the floor, and a lot of laughs and smiles all around.

by Meghan Perlow, Vice President, MFoA As a long time puzzler, when the discussion came up about rotating in additional events to bring year-round involvement to the festival, I knew exactly what to start with. Speed puzzling has grown in popularity internationally, including national and international championships popping up with incredible record breaking times from the fastest puzzlers in the world. New England remains fairly limited in speed puzzling opportunities, so it

The Marblehead Festival of Arts invites professional and nonprofessional individuals who currently reside, work, attend a school, or belong to an arts association in Essex County to submit entries for the 60th Marblehead Festival of Arts Logo Contest. This long-standing and prestigious competition, as old as the festival itself, produces a one-of-a-kind design to symbolize each year's event. Festival logos appear on merchandise, signage, web pages, and so much more, and are u

Marblehead's annual holiday tradition returns! The Marblehead Festival of Arts is proud to present the Artisans' Holiday Marketplace ! Enjoy shopping for unique, creative, hand-crafted gifts for your friends and family—and maybe yourself, too! This one-of-a-kind market in historic Abbot Hall will feature new artists and returning favorites, providing you a wide selection of gifts for everyone in your life. But shopping is just the beginning! Sip on signature cocktails and cra