SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - It’s shaping up to be an exciting weekend of culture and arts in downtown Springfield, with the jazz festival and Italian Feast returning for another year. These events attract thousands and you’ll want to know where you can and can’t go.

The Italian Feast is in full swing, with people grabbing food as apart of one of the area’s largest celebrations of Italian culture. The feast runs through Sunday, although Saturday is the biggest with the Holy Cannoli 5K in the morning, the feast midday, and then some live music in the evening. There’s even a raffle for a vespa scooter.

Of course, big events mean some limited access on the roads, Springfield DPW is warning drivers to expect road closures and heavy congestion all weekend long.

For The Italian Feast, officials said access to Main Street from William and Margaret Streets will be closed, and there is limited access from Winthrop Street, from noon Friday until 7 p.m. on Sunday, the 12th. The jazz festival will also leave Court Street to be closed until 1 in the morning on Sunday, as well as City Hall Place and Pynchon Street.

Now in its 13th year, the Jazz and Roots Festival is just down the street at Court Square and has numerous performances on tap for Friday night and Saturday.

Kristin Neville, the events organizer, said it’s all about celebrating how unifying music can be, “the performances on the stage and the activities that are part of the festival, the collaborations with various community organizations, various arts organizations, where we’re all coming together to present something really wonderful and engaging and inviting and accessible to everyone, so everyone has access to the arts.”

Both events are free and family friendly.

Coming up at 6 we’ll hear from families taking in the summer fun.

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