From the peaks of the White Mountains and Fraconia Notch down to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, the lakes and mountains of New Hampshire are a region and a culture unlike any other.

In most parts of the world, culture and art thrive most in cities where populations are dense. In New Hampshire, big cities do not happen. People celebrate smaller communities. Instead of cities slowly fading into suburbs around a central hub, the people in this region spread themselves evenly across the rural landscape in small towns about five-to-ten minutes apart.

Each town is proud and distinct, but across the region there is a unified cultural identity and a passion for the arts. This never goes away, but in the summertime the region becomes especially alive with music, dance, theatre, and visual arts.

The Granite Arts Festival is a celebration of everything happening in the region from June to mid-September. There is something for everyone to enjoy all through the weeks.