38th Annual Old Lyme Midsummer Festival
Midsummer Kickoff Concert at the FloGris Museum: Friday, July 25, 2025
The FloGris Museum is once again hosting its kickoff concert the night before the Midsummer Festival! Come enjoy a free concert on the lawn in this beautiful venue along the Lieutenant River. (90 Lyme Street). More information can be found at FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org.
· 5–7pm: Free admission to exhibitions Nancy Friese: Living Landscapes and Cow Tales, plus early access to the FloGris Shop’s Midsummer Super Sale.
· 7–9pm: Midsummer Concert on the Lawn featuring The Mighty Soul Drivers —a high-energy Memphis-style soul band. Bring a picnic or grab food from local vendors. Free and open to the public.
Join us for art, music, food, and family fun at the 38th Annual Old Lyme Midsummer Festival. The day’s events begin with a 5k and then continue with festivities at the Lyme Art Association , Florence Griswold Museum , Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center , Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, and Old Lyme Inn. More information can be found at ExploreOldLyme.com/MidsummerFestival2025.
🏃♀️ Midsummer 5k Run at Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau | 59 Lyme Street | 8am
· 5K Run/Walk (8am start): A morning run that winds through the beautiful streets of the village. Pre-registration online or onsite beginning at begins at 6:45am
· Kid K (9am start): Takes place on the high school running track. Check in at LYSB.
Info and register at www.lysb.org/5k
Lyme Art Association | 90 Lyme Street | 9am–5pm
- Outdoor Activities (9am–3pm): Meet local artists, enjoy craft-making, get refreshments from Del’s Lemonade, and explore booths from garden clubs and community groups.
- Live Music: The Wandering Fiddlers (9am–12pm) and Kipp Sturgeon (12:30–3pm)
- Gallery Exhibitions: 104th Elected Artists Exhibition, Red Hot Members Show, and New Haven Paint & Clay Club Select Members Exhibit
Florence Griswold Museum | 96 Lyme Street | 9am–5pm
- Free Admission: Explore exhibitions and the historic Griswold Boardinghouse for artists, c. 1910
- Food Truck Court (9am–3pm): Delicious offerings for all ages
- Dog Show (10am–12pm): Parading Paws returns—every dog’s a winner!
- Gallery Tour (2pm) and hands-on crafts. Face painting, fairy hair, and more throughout the day
- Café Flo (11:30am–2:30pm): Seated riverside dining (reservations recommended)
Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center | 100 Lyme Street | 9am–3pm
- Kelsey Family Discovery Center: Science experiments, crafts, and wildlife watching
- Special Appearances:
- 10am: Michele Urban Music Show —a whimsical interactive concert for families made possible by the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Old Lyme Library
- CT River Museum rope-making demos
- Great Island Foundation oyster & mussel touch tank
- Live birds of prey with Old Lyme Land Trust
Lions Club Classic Car Show (9:30am–1:30pm): Enjoy antique, exotic, and hot rod vehicles. Entrance fee of $5 gives attendees the chance to judge entrants. Trophies awarded after 1pm. The Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club will also be offering its popular grill items onsite.
Peterson Collection on View: Artist proofs and signed prints in the Eleanor Robinson Center
Old Lyme Inn | 85 Lyme Street | 9am–3pm
- Browse fine arts and crafts from the Fence Show Artists , Lyme Artisans Guild, and other vendors.
Lyme Academy of Fine Arts | 84 Lyme Street | 9am–3pm
· De Gerenday’s Fine Art Materials & Curiosities (10am-4pm): Offering the finest art materials hand selected by our renowned faculty of professional artists and exquisite giftable objects from around the globe.
· Chauncey-Stillman Gallery On view: (12pm-pm) Annual Student and Faculty Exhibition.