The Peru Gazette

2025 Art Festival Photo Provided

2025 Arts Festival photo provided. Allison Arnold helps at many community events!

2025 Arts Festival Photo Provided

AdkAction and the Keeseville Free Library are pleased to announce that the Keeseville Community Arts Festival, a beloved celebration of arts and community, will transition to new leadership beginning in 2026. The Library will now serve as the lead organizer of the event, with AdkAction providing support throughout the transition year.

The 2026 Keeseville Community Arts Festival will take place with a week of community events leading up to the main festival day on Saturday, July 18, 2026, also marking the 100th anniversary of the Keeseville Free Library.

The festival, first launched by AdkAction in 2018, began as a plein air painting event and has since grown into a dynamic, multi-day celebration that brings together over 40 artists, local businesses, and over 500 community members and visitors each year. Survey feedback from the 2025 festival showed overwhelming community pride and excitement, with attendees praising the event for its art, people, and ability to strengthen Keeseville’s identity.

“AdkAction has always seen part of its role as incubating ideas and piloting projects that can grow into sustainable, community-led initiatives,” said Sawyer Bailey, Executive Director of AdkAction. “The Keeseville Community Arts Festival is a perfect example of that model in action. We are thrilled to be passing the festival into the capable hands of the Keeseville Free Library, which will give it the dedicated, local leadership it deserves. In 2026, AdkAction will continue to act as a co-pilot and pit crew, ensuring a smooth transition while opening up space for us to take on new challenges facing the Adirondacks.”

The Keeseville Free Library sees the festival as a natural fit for its mission to serve as a hub for learning, culture, and connection.

“We are excited and honored to take the lead on the Keeseville Community Arts Festival,” said Robyn Pray, Director of the Keeseville Free Library. “This event has already brought so much joy and vitality to our community, and we look forward to building on that momentum. We invite all community members to join us in shaping the next chapter of the festival.”

The Library will host a volunteer meeting on October 29th to engage residents, artists, and local organizations interested in contributing to the planning process. For more information about this meeting, visit AdkAction.org/Art or the Keeseville Free Library’s Facebook page.

Diana Zais, AdkAction Board Member and Arts Festival lead, reflected on the transition: “I’ve watched the Keeseville Community Arts Festival grow from a small plein air gathering into a full-blown community event. It’s been inspiring to see its impact on Keeseville, and I’m committed to ensuring that the festival continues to thrive in its new home at the Library.”

The Keeseville Community Arts Festival has become a hallmark of creative placemaking in the Adirondacks, bringing color, connection, and opportunity to a village with a deep cultural heritage and bright future. Together, AdkAction and the Keeseville Free Library are committed to ensuring the festival continues to flourish as a reflection of all that makes Keeseville special.