Location
stART on the Street takes place on Park Avenue from Highland Street to Pleasant Street in the heart of Worcester, MA. If using GPS for directions, use Park Avenue & Highland Street as the destination, as some neighborhood streets will be re-routed during the festival.
Google Maps directions to stART on the Street and suggested parking areas
The festival is nearly 3/4 of a mile long - comfortable shoes and sunblock are highly recommended!
About the Festival
If you’ve never been to stART on the Street, the festival consists of 250+ artists and crafters displaying their handmade items for sale in the center of Park Ave. The festival route is lined with area businesses, stores and restaurants. The Highland Street end of the festival includes historic Elm Park with grassy areas perfect for picnicking. The Elm Street end of the festival includes the Youth Activities area.
Spread out along the festival are the Vegan Food Area, Food court and Food Truck area,as well as many additional vendors placed along the route.
Parking
Please be mindful of no parking signs and do not block driveways or narrow streets near the festival. Free bicycle parking is available from Worcester Earn-a-Bike (corner of Elm St. and Park Ave). Although there is no specific parking area for stART on the Street, there are MANY side streets and small lots around Park Avenue. Please be aware that TD Bank (295 Park Avenue) is open on Sundays and may tow if their parking spaces are blocked.
Information Booths
There are three information booths throughout the festival - one at the Highland Street end, one at the Pleasant Street end, and one at the intersection of Elm and Park. Here you can buy water, check performance lineups, ask questions about stART, purchase stART on the Street merchandise or make donations to help keep stART a free event.
Trash and Recycling
Numerous trash receptacles will be available throughout the festival. Please properly dispose of your trash and recycle your cans and bottles. If you see a garbage can overflowing, please let a stART Coordinator know so we can address. Our volunteers and other attendees will be very thankful!
Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in public areas at stART on the Street. El Basha, Leitrum’s, and Sake Bomb Bistro will be open and offer full bar service on their property.
Restrooms
Portable toilets are located in front of the Bank of America lot (255 Park Avenue) and in front of the Cornerstone Bank across from Elm Park.
Pets
Pets are welcome at stART on the Street when handled responsibly - please pick up after your pet, use a leash at all times, and keep in mind mid-September can still be quite warm; we care about the safety and comfort of your animals and ask that if the weather and pavement are too hot that you leave your pets at home. The Worcester Animal Rescue League will host a small dog park at the corner of Elm and Park Streets, where dogs can get some water and shade. Lastly, some vendors have very fragile displays and items, so please ask a vendor if your pet is welcome before entering their booth.
Etc.
Park Ave and select surrounding streets close to traffic at 6am to allow for load-in and setup. Any cars left parked on Park Ave or in front of a bright orange “no parking” sign will be towed - these signs are placed the day before stART to give drivers notice of the closure. The festival formally begins at 11am, but you’ll frequently see people beginning to roam before that. Though the event ends at 6pm, the streets will remain closed until 8pm to allow for breakdown and cleanup.
Keep in mind there is little to no shade on Park Avenue - wear sunscreen or a hat to protect yourself from the sun, and stay hydrated!
The festival ends at 6pm, with streets reopening between 7:30 and 8pm depending on how quickly everyone can breakdown and cleanup can happen. And by everyone, we mean 250+ artists, 20+ food vendors, 50+ non-profits, 10+ demonstrators, 4 stages, as well as stART staff cleanup and load-out.
Every year, there are a few artists who have to move to the sidewalk to finish safely packing when the street reopens. With this in mind, we ask attendees to complete their shopping by 6pm to allow artists ample time to pack. For that special something which catches your eye after 6, we recommend asking the artist for their website or business card.
We are always seeking volunteers for several jobs, from trash collection, market research, staffing info booths, requesting donations, and other odd jobs. Have some time to help out? Visit the volunteer booth at the festival, or sign up for a specific shift on our Volunteers page