ITHACA, N.Y. (WETM) — A festival celebrating the Ithaca community will return to the city this week.

Ithaca Festival is an annual event that brings live music, a craft fair, and a parade to Downtown Ithaca. The festival runs from June 1 through June 4 this year, and its theme is “Planet Ithaca.” Volunteers have been putting on this free festival and “celebrating the artist in everyone” since 1977. Festival attendees that want to support Ithaca Festival can purchase $5 buttons and other merchandise on site.

The festival will kick off with a parade on Thursday, June 1 at 6 p.m. sharp. The parade will start on Cayuga Street at Lincoln Street and end on Buffalo Street. The parade will have over 2,000 participants, which were encouraged to embrace the festival’s theme. The mission of the parade is to entertain people and bring awareness to different causes and activities Ithaca offers. The parade also aims to highlight the quirks that make up Ithaca.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will feature a craft fair. About 100 local vendors will be selling jewelry, pottery, clothing, metalworking, toys, and more. Visitors will be able to purchase small-batch foods and beverages like syrup, honey, and wine as well. The craft fair will run from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Ithaca Festival will feature over 70 live performances throughout the course of the event. Festival-goers will be able to find live music at Dewitt Park, Cayuga Street Circle, and Bernie Milton Pavilion in the Commons. Bernie Milton Pavilion will have live music from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on Sunday.

Dewitt Park will feature live performances from 12 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Friday, 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Dewitt Park will also host live art demonstrations from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Cayuga Street Circle will host live music from 1:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Night owls can head to the commons at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday for a silent disco that will run until midnight. A full schedule of performances can be found on this page of the Ithaca Festival website.

For more information about Ithaca Festival, you can visit its website and its Facebook page.