ROYALSTON — Mother nature conjured up some perfect summer weather as about 100 people and a dozen dogs made their way to Royalston Common on Sunday for the annual Royalston Music Fest.

Musical acts from around the North Quabbin area entertained from noon to 4 p.m. as folks relaxed in lawn chairs, chatted with neighbors, and tossed balls or sticks for their canine companions. Others lined up to purchase hot dogs, ice cream, or Music Fest T-shirts in the shadow of the historic Town Hall and Congregational Church.

The event, sponsored by the Royalston Cultural Council, had been scheduled to take place in nearby Bullock Park but last week’s rains necessitated a change of venue.

“Bullock Park was always a little wet and this year our DPW tried to improve the situation,” said Culture Council chair Jim Taylor, “but with all the recent rain, it appears the new drainage just couldn’t keep up. So, after a stuck truck and an emergency call to the Selectboard, we moved it all to in front of Town Hall, and it actually made for a really nice cozy time!”

Taylor said plans for next year are for a two-day event, with entertainment split between the South Village gazebo and Bullock Park, part of an effort to re-energize the arts scene in Royalston.

The cultural council, said Taylor, is in a rebuilding phase. “There was a time when our stalwart members were simply aging out and the new people, like me, were finding ourselves shorthanded. After an active membership drive, we have some new talent, some folks who just moved to town and who were impressed with our Open Mic (events) and felt it would be fun to take part. We also have a new member who is a long-time resident and who was also pleased by our efforts. Now we are coming back strong.”

While the Music Fest has in the past featured musical acts from across a wide region, Taylor said plans presently call for highlighting mainly local talent.

“For the sake of the local community,” he said, “we strive to showcase the best of the best who perform at our fall-through-spring Open Mic series. In past years we have featured bands from Greenfield and other towns around and we may do so in the future, but we have a lot of local talent from Royalston and the surrounding towns that just can’t be ignored. On top of that, I think everybody appreciated seeing their friends and neighbors showing off their stuff — and they have the stuff.”

Taylor said the council’s first Friday Open Mic series will return in October or November, with plans to run through April. Performances will take place at Town Hall on the first Friday of every month during that period. Taylor said the series “is the main source for our Music Fest talent. It is free and anybody who wants a little stage time is encouraged to bring their act — whether solo, group, comedy acts, or even just extra practice for an upcoming school recital — and give it a try. At those events we also offer light crock pot fare for dinner as well as desserts and soft drinks for sale. It makes for a very popular activity for a cold Friday evening.”

The next big planned Cultural Council event, Taylor said, is the Tree Lighting in early December.

“We have been growing that event and expanding our offerings there,” he said. “Attendance has been increasing every year.”

Taylor added that the Cultural Council is looking for ways to enhance other events that are on the horizon, including the Agricultural Festival, the Historical Society Halloween event, and the police department’s Trunk or Treat.