“A new setting, same vibrant spirit and celebration” was the unofficial motto for this year’s Gilman Square Arts &  Music Festival, which relocated to Edward L. Leathers Community Park in response to ongoing construction at its usual home on Pearl Street.

The relocation shuffled the annual Somerville celebration, now in its eighth year, into the tree-lined and shade-dappled expanse of the park last Saturday. A stage for music was mounted on the low hill at the south end of the lot, with the occasional serenade of a passing train punctuating the sets, while the bulk of the vendors pitched their tents atop the pavement of Skelton Avenue, abutting the park.

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The free event welcomed a variety of guests, young, old – and a lot of families, which navigated impressive motorcades of sports utility baby carriages and e-bikes the size of small cars through the crowd. One local hatched the idea of valet service for next year’s event.

Festival staples such as face painting, henna tattoos and diet-busting savories served in novelty dog bowls drew steady crowds.

Illustrator and sculptor Pete Moulthrop, aka “Bearded Tales of Woe,” exhibited handicrafts and posters featuring his original artwork. The titular beard was in remission, but an oversized mustache made up for it.

A man dressed in a colorful cardboard box and a tiara of golden sun rays paraded around the park, striking up conversation with the quizzical and urging them to “support genius chatbot.”

A pair of boys set up a lemonade stand. The going rate these days for lemonade is $2 for a small and $4 for a large, which isn’t bad, given inflation. The boys were eager to share their secret recipe: a touch of yellow dye and a little fizzy water to make it sparkle.

The music washing over the park throughout the day featured sets by Matt Heaton, Dom the Composer, the 12-piece Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, FM Collective and the ska-punk outfit Pink Slip, which announced a release party for an album, “Bathtub Madonna,” on Oct. 2 at Faces Brewing in Malden.

Tablers of all manner, including the Gilman Square Neighborhood Council, Somerville Arts Council, Scouting America, the PTA and The Cambridge Somerville Independent, greeted visitors.

Judging by crowd size, the biggest draw of the festival was the two circus performing acts, Esh Circus Arts and Cate Great.

Esh Circus Arts set up an elaborate stage rig to support the suspended acrobatics of its performers, who balanced, twirled and swung on ropes and hoops and sashes. Cate Great was a solo juggling act with a quick wit and a penchant for picking “cool dad” volunteers out of the audience. Mayor Jake Wilson, who pulled through for a few group selfies with supporters at the “Mayor’s Office” table, was not selected.

In the days following the festival, organizers sent around an email to participants asking for feedback – what worked, what didn’t work – at the new location. Regardless of when and how the dust settles on Pearl Street construction, a return to Leathers Park in 2027 remains on the table.