June 12, 2026 By Marisa Olsen (photos by Michael Moss)Â
The 71st annual South Shore Art Center (SSAC) Arts Festival will take place Friday, June 19 through Sunday, June 21, 2026 on the Cohasset Common. The weekend-long festival kicks off next Thursday, June 18 with an Arts Preview Night from 6-10pm where ticketed guests will celebrate three legacy teachers, preview the exhibited art, and bid on enticing auction items to benefit and support SSAC. The evening features live music, beverages, and local treats under the tent.
From Friday through Sunday, the Arts Festival is open to families free of charge, but donations are welcome. Myriad events include nearly 100 unique craft exhibitors alongside a juried exhibition, a children's tent, live music, a beer garden by Stellwagen Beer Company, and several food vendors, including Del's Lemonade, Mom on the GO, Miss Emily Food Truck, Plazita Mexico Tacos, and more.
“The SSAC is honored to celebrate artists and the arts at the 71st annual Arts Festival 2026. The weekend is a tentpole event, bringing our vibrant community together, while appreciating the importance of art and culture near and far. We are proud to foster and support the arts from youth and adult classes to our free, rotating gallery to our arts education program, which is essential to our South Shore community. We are incredibly appreciative to all of our Festival Sponsors, staff, and volunteers who make this event possible. We hope you will join us for an inspiring and fun weekend filled with art, food, music, and more,†says newly appointed Director Kelly Netishen (pro-tip, if you want to learn more about Netishen, check out our interview with her here).
Details of the weekend are below:
ARTS FESTIVAL HOURS
Friday, June 19, 12pm – 6pm
Saturday, June 20, 10am – 6pm
Sunday, June 21, 10am – 4pm
BEER GARDEN HOURS
Friday, June 19, 3pm – 6pm
Saturday, June 20, 10pm – 6pm
Sunday, June 21, 12pm – 4pm
TRANSPORTATION
Complimentary transportation will be provided at the following locations:
Deer Hill School, 208 Sohier Street, Cohasset
Corner of Ripley Road & Depot Court, Cohasset
Lower end of Cohasset Common, Main Street, Cohasset
Upper end of Cohasset Common, near the church, Main Street, Cohasset
Friday, June 19, 12pm – 6:30pm
Saturday, June 20, 10am – 6:30pm
Sunday, June 21, 10am – 5pm
FESTIVAL JURIED EXHIBITION
The Festival Juried Exhibition features these numerous recipients and awardees working in various media, and includes adult and youth artists.
The exhibition was juried by:
Christina Godfrey Director, Savage-Godfrey Gallery, Norwell, MA
Sunne Savage, Former Owner & Director, Sunne Savage Gallery, Boston, MA
Elizabeth Sullivan, Former Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Our Festival Members' Show is judged by: William Houser
