Downtown Milford Inc. and Wilmington-based Gable Music Ventures are partnering to bring The Ladybug Festival to Milford this fall. The free-to-attend "live music block party" will take place on Saturday, September 22 with 30 artists in the line-up.

Gable Music launched The Ladybug Festival in 2012 to provide a free alternative to Firefly. The Wilmington-based event drew 300 attendees in its first year and over 10,000 in 2017.

The move to Milford is the first expansion of the festival outside of Wilmington. Milford will shut down Walnut Street to vehicle traffic, and local business will open their doors to serve as venues.

In addition to the main outdoor stage, the Milford Library outdoor Amphitheater, Arena's, Dolce, Gallery 37, the Mispillion Art League, Petite Sweets, Park Place, My Sisters Fault, Milford Antiques, Georgia House, Lifecycle, Elegant Style, Irish Rose, Rivertown Theatre,

"This event will not only cultivate future opportunities for female musicians, but it will elevate the spirit of our community and help to provide a positive cultural direction for our city,"  said Marcia Reed, owner of Gallery 37. "Expanding the awareness of music and art is an invaluable part of a balanced growth plan for the individual or a city."