Visual artists, writers, poets, dancers, musicians and other performers will take over Historic Huguenot Street in the fifth annual Celebration of the Arts on Saturday, October 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Founded by a 15-year-old homeschooler, Noelle McEntee (she’s now in college), the event was designed both to showcase artists’ work and performances as well as to create networking opportunities, said organizer Melanie Cronin.

Children are also welcome, with a full lineup of kids’ activities. Visitors can participate in street games designed by artists for a quarter apiece, the proceeds of which will go toward an art stipend fund for 2011. Everyone is encouraged to “bring their piggy banks,” said Cronin.

Participating visual artists span the ages, ranging from an eight-year-old to a 78-year-old, and include Outsiders as well as career artists, including a handful of folks from Brooklyn and Cronin’s husband Ryan Cronin, a painter and sculptor who makes the art-world rounds, traveling to Basel, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Potential patrons, of course, are also welcome. “You can meet someone whose work you have been following and have a one-on-one,” said Cronin.

The event includes a reading of stories, poems and book excerpts by more than a dozen writers in the Old French Church, starting at noon. A monthlong display of art in 17 storefronts in downtown New Paltz is another offshoot of the celebration. The event kicks off on Thursday, October 6 with a competition by the Broads’ Regional Arm Wrestling League (BRAWL), which is raising money for a local women’s charity, at the Water Street Market, at 7 p.m. On Friday, there will be a rock ‘n’ roll show at Snug Harbor, featuring Setting Sun, Los Doggies and Innis.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail cronartusa@gmail.com, call (845) 430-8470 or log on to www.celebrationofthearts.net.