Corn Hill Arts Festival celebrates historic Rochester neighborhood

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – Hundreds of artists are excited to show off work in the Corn Hill Arts Festival after a two-year hiatus. The festival takes place along nine streets in the historic Corn Hill neighborhood.

This is the 54th annual year for the event. There are over 300 artists from around the world, each with amazing skills. Watching the process of set-up for the Corn Hill Arts Festival has creators over the moon.

"I think it’s going to be a really big turnout and I’m just staying positive,” artist Natalie Rae said.

Rae says she’s been involved with the festival for three years now and the best part for her is not only watching a customer walk away with her handmade bags but the connections she makes with them.

“A lot of selling is based on emotions, so we like to make that connection with our customers and our new friends, so we’re really excited to be back out here,” Rae said.

15 neighborhood volunteers and hundreds of others make this event possible. There is an array of artwork from paintings to handcrafted goods and much more. There’s also live music and food. Festival chairperson Bill Belecz says part of the festival is taking people on a journey through the past.

"We’re on an annual basis again, post-COVID,” Belecz said. “We want to start to educate the community about the history of the neighborhood and particularly the Black history of the neighborhood and what this neighborhood was.”

A cool fact about this event is that it’s put together and run by community members. Throughout the weekend, organizers expect about 75,000 people. The Corn Hill Arts Festival is this Saturday and Sunday.