City of Worcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester Cultural Development Division announced Wednesday the return of the Color the City Festival for its fifth year. The free family friendly festival will be held on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, on the Worcester Common, from 3 -8 p.m. The rain date is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 15, 2025.

Color the City brings together young leaders, artists, and changemakers for a celebration of youth expression. The event is organized and coordinated by the Create 508 youth in collaboration with the Cultural Development Division and the Division of Youth Opportunities.

The festival will include local vendors, food, art, music, live performances, and interactive games featuring this year’s Adventure Role-Playing Game theme. To reflect this interactive theme, the Create 508 youth designed, built, and will display props and installations such as dragons and castles. 

"Create 508 is a program that teaches more than just creative skills," said Program Coordinator Riley Petit. "It teaches collaboration, critical thinking, and planning skills along with confidence to lead and make tangible creative impact in our city."

Launched in 2020, Create 508 empowers Youth Leaders and Artist Mentors ages 14-24 in dynamic creative programming, enrichment workshops, training modules, and public event planning with the mission of driving Worcester’s culture and community while learning the business of art.

"By teaching young people how to work in the arts, we empower them with the tools to tell their stories, build meaningful careers and shape the communities they live in," said Create 508 Artist Mentor AJ Orringer. "These young artists are passionate, driven and deeply proud of what they've created, and they are looking forward to sharing their hard work with the community."

"Over the past five years we've encouraged the Create 508 youth to push the boundaries of creativity with bold ideas, vibrant energy and unstoppable imagination," said Artist Mentor Jayson Dominguez. "Each year their vision grows bigger, their impact deeper and the festival more dynamic, engaging and uniquely Worcester."

This year's Color the City Festival is made possible with the support of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, United Way of Central Massachusetts, Worcester Community Action Council, and the Worcester Cultural Coalition.