The annual Apollinaire in the Park festival takes place on August 29. Shown here are scenes from last year’s festival. 
Chelsea-based Apollinaire Theatre Company will celebrate the summer season with its annual outdoor arts festival Apollinaire in the Park, an all-day celebration featuring a packed schedule of performances.
“The main event is in the beer garden, which is out in front of the theater,” said Apollinaire Artistic Director Danielle Fauteux Jacques. That’s where the primary action of the day will take place, including live theater shows, live music, dance lessons and more.
The main performances this year are “Midsummer (ish),” a 60-minute fever dream version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” executed with just six actors playing all the roles; and “La Mancha,” an abbreviated, bilingual adaptation of “Don Quixote.” Both will lean into humor and heart during short but striking performances.
Apollinaire has been running this festival in one form or another since 2003. The company originally staged a full-length summer production that would run for several weeks. Due to budget constraints it has shifted to a one-day festival featuring several short works.
In addition to those theater experiences, there will be several live music sets throughout the day, including headliner Alan Kuang and Bulletproof Funk, plus arts and crafts, face painting and workshops such as a free hip-hop dance class at this family-friendly affair.
“I think it creates a lot of cohesion in the community, a lot of positive vibes with people sharing art and sharing stories,” Jacques said.
Another highly anticipated event is the costume conversion fashion show. Local designers have taken costumes from previous Apollinaire productions and fashioned them into stylish new looks for Bostonians. The fashions will be on display (and on the runway) and are also available for purchase.
The festival takes place Saturday, Aug. 29 from 3 to 9 p.m. in Chelsea Square and in the neighboring Chelsea Theatre Works building. It’s free and open to all. Food trucks will be on site near the beer garden, as well as vendors from Orland’s Fully Baked cupcake shop and Bella Isla, where they’ll sling empanadas and mofongo.
Jacques estimates that 300 to 500 people will attend, coming in and out throughout the day to engage in different activities. The festival has a lot to offer, and Jacques hopes it’s the first of many theater experiences for attendees.
“We’re hoping to create a very casual, fun atmosphere where people can just come on in and see the theater,” she said. “The theater is for everyone.”
ON THE WEB
Learn more at apollinairetheatre.com/productions/productionspark