Summer sidewalk sales dates announced

DARIEN — Summer Sidewalk Sales, a longtime Darien tradition and beloved summer retail event, will return this summer — with a boon for teenage entrepreneurs.

The Darien Chamber of Commerce recently announced the dates and location for the 2022 event: July 14, July 15 and July 16 along the Post Road and in Goodwives Shopping Center, according to Executive Director Kesti Aysseh.

The tradition, which draws hundreds of visitors annually, is designed to encourage Darienites to shop locally. This year, the event is sponsored in large part by First County Bank, Aysseh said in a statement.

It also marks the second year the event will be held after a COVID-19 hiatus in 2020.

This year will feature a twist: The Chamber of Commerce will be setting up a space for local teenagers to sell homemade products. The “youth entrepreneurial tent” will be next to Bankwell on Post Road and will not require a fee to participate.

Participants must be between the ages of 14 and 18 or accompanied by an adult if younger. The teen tent will be set up from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 16 only.

“We encourage the kids to sell their homemade goods, interact with the community and experience selling and shopping locally,” Aysseh said. “Hopefully they will be able to pocket some summer spending cash and learn from the experience.”

Registrations from nearly a dozen local shops have already come in, Aysseh said in a release. Retailers Salt Cave, Clean Juice, Fjord Fish Market and Browne & Co. are among the handful of early registrants.

Food vendors and restaurants are encouraged to set up tables and sell “Grab n' Go” food items. The event will also feature some entertainment, according to the chamber.

For more information, visit www.darienCT chamber.com or follow is @dariectchamber on Instagram and Facebook, or contact Kesti Aysseh at 203-655-3600.