Three large frames decorated with leaves, sea creatures, pumpkins, flowers, and pom-poms – all made of yarn – hang in parks across Concord, injecting extra color into the foliage-saturated landscape. The frames, a communal effort among knitters and crocheters throughout the city, provide a snapshot into the creative energy residents can expect to experience at this weekend’s Concord Sound & Color: Music and Arts Festival.

The festival, a reimagining of the Capital Arts Fest, will span five venues, feature over 25 performances, and include more than 15 interactive art and music activities and classes, alongside four dozen art vendors. Performances will encompass everything from interpretative dance, band and solo musicians, and improv, with free activities planned all along S. Main Street from Friday morning until Saturday evening.

“That’s who we are, that’s a label we want to stick in the Capital Region, that we are an arts and culture and music community,” said Concord Chamber of Commerce President Tim Sink.

The Capital Arts Fest, first created to celebrate Concord’s redeveloped downtown, was run by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen until the pandemic, according to Sink. In the past two years, members of Concord’s arts community – including the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord Community Music School, InTown Concord, NH Music Collective, and Pillar Gallery + Projects – have come together to create the Sound & Color Festival, with the goal of representing as many mediums as possible and partnering with numerous community organizations. The two-day festival will span the Capitol Center for the Arts Main Stage, the Bank of New Hampshire Stage, Concord Community Music School, Feathered Friend Brewery, and the interactive outdoor art hub that will take over downtown.

“This has been such a huge project for us because of the different arts organizations really trying to come together to celebrate art and music,” Cara Meeker, one of the festival organizers, said. “We know that Concord is a vibrant arts community. How do you celebrate all different kinds of arts that are being done in the city?”

She and her collaborators came up with the idea of a yarn bombing project to display in the city’s parks to give people a taste of the breadth and depth of art happening around Concord.

“It was certainly a labor of love for me because we were just trying to figure out how we get the community more wrapped in,” Meeker said. “This is just a great way to connect with our community, to say, ‘Hey, we’re highlighting the arts!’ How can we stretch out that runway so that you get to participate in the community aspect of the festival in a wider range of time?”

Longtime knitter Denise Daniel knew as soon as she heard about the project that she wanted to contribute. Daniel has participated in a Concord-area knitting circle since 1998. Daniel, Meeker, and Liza Poinier formed a group called the Yarn Squad and enlisted community help in knitting and crocheting for the frames. Each frame has a different theme – the one in Rollins Park features fall decorations, the one in White Park has a sea creature theme, and the Keach Park frame centers around the idea of unity.

Poinier explained that the group completed the unity frame first and hung it in time for the Multicultural Festival in September.

“I learned that in many cultures around the world, marigolds may symbolize welcoming, celebration, remembrance, healing, and more – perfect for the frame,” Poinier said. “So you’ll notice that the frame, which will be at Sound & Color over the weekend, in addition to saying “Beautiful together” and “Unity” and “Umoja” – unity in Swahili – is decorated with marigolds and other botanicals in yarn format. It’s beautiful and meaningful and was a joy to work on.”

She and her fellow artists enjoyed seeing people discover the frame at the Multicultural Festival and even take photos with it. All the frames will be moved to downtown Concord in time for the festival on Friday.

The Yarn Squad wanted the project to be something that anyone – beginning or advanced knitters and crocheters – could help with.

“It’s cool to see what everybody can do and put together,” Daniel said. “It’s nice that everybody can do something no matter what level you’re at, and you put it together and it looks great.”

Daniel created candy corn, leaves, gnomes, flowers, and more for the display. She knits every day, even if it’s just a row or two.

“I’m busy, but I can’t not knit. It’s got a calming process that’s both helpful and healing,” she added.

Yarn Squad contributor Kristin Amero knitted 20 pom-poms for the frames to fill the space between different crocheted creations. She belongs to a knitting group and answered the call for artists to get involved in the project. Amero values the opportunity to get involved through crafting.

“It’s very rewarding,” Amero said. “It’s great to participate in community activities with whatever talent you have.”

Amero looks forward to attending the festival and said she hopes it can serve as a reminder that everyone can have a place for art in their lives.

“I’m very crafty, very artistic, and it just goes to show that people can have full-time corporate jobs or government jobs and have crafting as a creative outlet,” she added.

Poinier reiterated the importance of creativity to people’s everyday lives.

“Fun and play and art and music and friends are not luxuries – they are necessities,” she said. “Community events are a powerful way for people to connect with each other and with their creative spirit, and they remind us that we are better together.”

The festival, centered on interactivity, aims to inspire members of the greater Concord community to get more involved with the arts.

“Art takes on many forms, and it’s happening in Concord and in New Hampshire right now,” Meeker said. “The amount of creativity that is sort of pulsing through this community is so impressive.”

For more information, visit https://concordsoundandcolor.com/.

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com.