Official: Town’s July 4 fireworks back on
Greenwich Town Party, other annual events still unknown
“We have tentative dates with our people who provide our fireworks.” Joe Sicliano, Director, Greenwich Parks and Recreation
GREENWICH — New reopening plans announced by Gov. Ned Lamont may enable the return of events like Fourth of July fireworks and an easing of restrictions at Greenwich Point Park.
Lamont on Thursday said outdoor event capacity, on April 2, will increase to 50 percent. As many as 10,000 people can gather outside, according to the governor’s newest guidelines.
Town officials could not say the fate of events like the Greenwich Town Party and the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival under the new regulations. But town Director of Parks and Recreation Joe Siciliano said Thursday that plans are underway to have July fireworks in Old Greenwich after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the annual event last year.
“We have tentative dates with our people who provide our fireworks,” Siciliano said. “We have a date of July 3 and a rain date of July 5. We’re planning on a fireworks show but we’re not yet sure what it’s going to be. What kind of guidance will there be in late June? Will there be 50 percent capacity then? Will it be up to 75 percent capacity? 100 percent capacity?”
Should the COVID numbers increase and the restrictions return, Siciliano noted, the town will have the ability to cancel the fireworks.
As for Greenwich’s larg
est event of the year, Greenwich Town Party organizers on Thursday said it was too soon to speak about plans for the 2021 party, which typically is held Memorial Day weekend.
The Greenwich Town Party had to cancel last year’s event, which was to be headlined by Mumford and Sons and Zac Brown Band, due to the pandemic.
The all-day musical festival typically reaches maximum capacity for Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, or 8,000 people.
While not to the same size, Greenwich Point also draws a crowd.
A recent Saturday with nice weather had 2,000 people, Siciliano said.
Greenwich Point has had weekend restrictions in place throughout the winter, limiting the number of cars and opening up only for residents driving in with park passes or proof of residency. Siciliano said that will remain in place for now but is being reviewed.
“We’re going to be managing the Point the way we have been,” Sicliano said. “Will we loosen up the restrictions? We might. I think we have to see the way the spring rolls out. … I think as we go into April and the beginning of May we will have a better idea of where we’re going to be capacity wise. We’ll see what makes people comfortable with spacing.”
Registration was already underway at www.greenwichct.gov for spring and summer programs, including camps, with the Parks and Recreation Department. For those Siciliano said the capacity for them will again depend on conditions at the time and what guidance the state is giving.
“We’re going to have our day camps,” Siciliano said. “We’re going to have the stuff we normally have. But at what capacity? It’s hard to say in March what the capacity could be for a day camp in the middle of June. We will be following the guidance and our plan is to implement as much as we can get back online.”
On Thursday, the governor advised summer camps and summer festivals to begin planning to open for the upcoming season.
Lamont also announced that, beginning March 19, capacity limits would be eliminated for restaurants, stores, libraries, gyms and a sizable group of other businesses. The size for recreational and commercial gatherings, as well as private gatherings, will also be upped.
Greenwich Library and its branches, as well as the Perrot Memorial Library in Old Greenwich, have had no-contact pickup in place for people who reserve material online. This has allowed Greenwich Library to nearly complete its large-scale internal renovations, including a new café that is also open for limited services right now.
“We’re eager to resume services and welcome more patrons into the library,” Greenwich Library Director Barbara OrmerodGlynn said Thursday. “We’re working now to plan the expansion of inperson service. The next service we will launch is ‘Express Browsing’ of the new materials and children’s collections by appointment at all three locations, which we hope to offer sometime in April.”