KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Organizers of The Thing in the Spring say this year’s festival represents more than just a weekend of music and art — it’s the culmination of nearly two decades of collaboration, community-building and experimental creativity in southwestern New Hampshire.

The annual festival, hosted by Nova Arts, returns Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17 to Brewbakers Cafe with more than 25 performances across multiple stages in Keene, including a major concert Saturday featuring Ghostface Killah at The Colonial Theatre.

During an interview at Brewbakers Cafe, Nova Arts curator Eric Gagne and Brewbakers Cafe owners Eliza Murphy and Jeff Murphy reflected on the event’s growth since its founding in Peterborough in 2008.

Eliza Murphy described the festival as “Eric’s masterful project,” saying the event has cultivated a unique artistic culture and loyal following over its 18-year history.

“It’s such a specific curatorial style and vision,” Murphy said. “You have bands and audiences who have followed it from the beginning.”

The festival originally began in Peterborough before eventually relocating to Keene and becoming part of Nova Arts following the dissolution of The Glass Museum nonprofit in 2021. Today, organizers say the festival continues operating under the fiscal sponsorship of Arts Alive!.

“This incredible scaffold and partnership through Arts Alive has allowed Eric to focus on programming while we run the venue,” Murphy said. “People may not fully realize how much Arts Alive has incubated and supported in the regional arts community over the last decade.”

This year’s lineup features a mix of nationally recognized performers, regional artists and local acts spread across three days.

Friday’s performances include acclaimed guitarist Yasmin Williams, known for her innovative finger-tapping acoustic style, along with Emily A. Sprague of indie folk band Florist. Other Friday acts include Delicate Steve; singer-songwriter, improviser, and virtuoso guitarist Wendy Eisenberg; local collective Jack in the Green and shoegaze band Dinger.

Saturday features one of the festival’s largest headliners to date when Ghostface Killah performs at The Colonial Theatre alongside opening act Sammus, an Afro-futurist rapper and scholar. Festivalgoers will also be led from Nova Arts to the theater by Undertow Brass Band.

Daytime programming Saturday includes performances by Natural Information Society, saxophonist Cole Pulice, trombonist Kalia Vandever and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann, along with poetry readings from Diannely Antigua, Jess Rizkallah and others.

Sunday’s lineup leans into folk and psychedelic-inspired music with performances by Woods, Saintseneca, Thanya Iyer, Nova One and several regional performers.

Organizers said one of the festival’s defining characteristics has become its openness and accessibility. The event’s expanded pay-what-you-can initiative, known as Access for All, is intended to ensure people can still participate even during financially difficult times.

“We live in this world where ticket prices for major concerts are hundreds of dollars,” Jeff Murphy said. “This is a whole weekend with more than 25 bands, and with pay-what-you-can, there’s really no barrier.”

Gagne said the shift toward accessibility has changed the overall atmosphere of the event.

“We want people to walk in, feel comfortable and be curious,” he said. “Even if they don’t know the music, maybe they discover something unexpected that connects with them.”

He compared the festival to meeting someone with “a great personality” that reveals itself over time.

“Once people come, they usually come back,” Gagne said.

Organizers also emphasized the collaborative philosophy behind Nova Arts and The Thing in the Spring.

“Do your work with your friends,” Eliza Murphy said. “There’s a joyful collective camaraderie to this. This isn’t just a business venture — it’s a passion project.”

Jeff Murphy said the venue itself has grown organically through community participation and experimentation.

“Every little project and every show brought more people into the community,” he said. “Now people come from all over New England and across the country, and there’s this incredible integration into the day-to-day life of Keene.”

He added that the festival has become known for introducing audiences to artists and performances they may never have sought out on their own.

“You might sit through an entire day and suddenly there’s one thing that just clicks with you in a way you never expected,” Murphy said.

Tickets, day passes and weekend passes as well as more information are available through Nova Arts.