Two new festivals will bring art, music and reading to the streets of downtown this October.

Bringing more than 50 authors to Concord, the New Hampshire Book Festival will land in Concord on Oct. 4-5.

Novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz and Kate DiCamillo, known for her children’s novels like “Because of Winn-Dixie” and “The Tale of Despereaux,” will be keynote speakers. Those events are ticketed, but most of the festival, including panels, booths and book signings, are open to the public. 

As its name would suggest, the Sound and Color festival will host live music and other performances alongside artists markets and public art installations on Oct. 18-19. A two-day, fully free event, its mission is to “remove all barriers to arts access and promote the importance of the arts community to the region and beyond.”

A slew of performers with nationwide roots, from the Adam Ezra Group to Yonder Mountain String Band, will bring their sounds to multiple stages across the city, with shows lasting until 10 p.m. Free tickets will be required to attend shows at the Capital Center.

The Concord Arts Market, Queerlective and independent vendors will show off local art, from tie-dye to ceramics, on South Main Street, closing at 7 p.m. 

Both events were recipients of money from the City of Concord via a $150,000 discretionary fund that the city manager’s office used to support new festivals.

With both festivals making their Concord debut in October, the city’s natural fall colors are bound to be on display as both festivals mark the drawdown of the city’s 2024 festival season.