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Date: 6/6/2022
WARE – On June 18, Workshop 13 is hosting their “Rock the Park” Music & Arts Festival at Grenville Park from 1- 9 p.m. There will be all day live music performances from the Bearly Dead, Entrain, the After Party, Ecology of Sound, Robyn Scott & Mark Cloutier and Bryan Cahalan. “Rock the Park” will also have activities, food trucks, artists and vendors and craft beers.
Food trucks that are currently listed as attending are: Rustic Fusion, Holyoke Hummus, Macken’s Sliders, Harpers Dogs and Mel’s Sweet Treats. Hardwick Winery will be in attendance, as well as It’s Wine O’clock - a local wine shop.
The event was originally scheduled in 2020 but was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though the workshop hosted the event in 2021, it was a scaled back version due to concerns of COVID-19.
Executive Director Marie Lauderdale explained the “Rock the Park” event last year was more of a concert that went from 4-10 p.m.
“This year, it has grown into its original vision which is an all-day music and arts festival,” she said.
She continued, “Our vision is to put Ware on the map as a cultural destination. For the people of Ware, we hope that this event becomes something that gives them a sense of pride in the town. We hope that it draws in people from all over Western and central Mass. and bring awareness to the many talents that are in the town of Ware.”
Workshop 13 is a nonprofit cultural arts and learning center with three campuses. Their main location is at 13 Church St. in Ware in a renovated church building that now serves the community as an arts space. They have art studios downstairs offering classes to adults and children. Their second floor is their grand hall, which is a performing arts theater where they have concerts, open mic, small theater performances as well as receptions and other private events. Their third floor is a music studio where they do recordings.
Around the corner on Main Street, Workshop 13 has a fully equipped pottery studio called ClayWorks offering classes and studio space to established potters. Then adjacent to ClayWorks, they have an Art Works Gallery which is an exhibition space.
Workshop 13 was founded by two local artists in 2012 with a vision of having a community art space in Ware. They found the church building which was on the docket to be demolished and went to the town with a proposal to purchase it. They renovated the building with their own funds and turn it into a nonprofit community art center. The Workshop opened in 2013 and received their nonprofit status in 2014.
Lauderdale replied, “They realized the impact that the arts have on the community and there’s really nothing like this in this area.”
Grenville Park is located at 73 Church St. Residents can visit Workshop 13’s website at workshop13.org. In addition to the “Rock the Park” information, they can see all of their upcoming events and classes. Right now, the Workshop is offering summer programs for children and Lauderdale encourages parents to check out their programming. The event is a $5 suggested donation for children 12 years old and up.