The 61st annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival will be held this weekend along the streets of downtown Mystic. The annual event, modeled after the Washington Square Festival in New York, draws thousands of guests to view juried works by more than 250 artists nationwide. This year will include a new Emerging Student Artists exhibits.

The festival is free and open to the public from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11 and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12. There will also be a Children’s Art Park with activities sponsored by the Groton Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention and area museums and cultural centers. For more information, call (860) 572-9578.