The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
May Daze celebration livens Chester center
CHESTER >> The 26th annual May Daze celebration is Friday, May 5 when all the shops, restaurants and galleries in town are open late, with live music, art events, special deals, Mexican cake, Argentinian sparkling wine, local beer tastings and new lines of artisan jewelry.
This year, because May Daze falls on Cinco de Mayo, a number of businesses are adopting a Mexican flavor for the evening.
Strut your Mutt is staging “Connecticut Shelter Dogs Celebrating Cinco de Mayo,” a dog adoption event, where margaritas and chips and salsa will be served.
A Mother’s Day collection of new Leiva jewelry featuring pairings of mother/ daughter necklaces and earrings, will be unveiled at Lori Warner’s, where sangria and sweets will be offered. In the Swoon Boutique downstairsall Mother’s Day gifts will be 10 percent off.
At Maple and Main Gallery, “Little Gems,” a show of paintings, all 8”x8,” all $200 and all newly created by the gallery artists, will open in the Stone Gallery, where wine and Mexican “Wave Crest” an 8x8 painting at Maple and Main by Pam Carlson of Essex dip and chips will be served.
Mini margaritas will be offered at The French Hen which is launching a new jewelry line by T. Jazelle, created on Cape Cod and perfect for Mother’s Day and graduation.
Dina Varano is offering unique jewelry for mom as well as unveiling new spring arrivals. In another nod to Cinco de Mayo, ginger lime spritzers with be offered with chips and guacamole.
At the Perfect Pear, a festive piñata cake will be served and 10 percent off is being offered on a special selection of Cinco de Mayorelated merchandise.
To herald in spring, The Pattaconk’s ice cream shop will open for the season on May Daze and live music will be performed on the patio from 7 to 10 p.m. while Arrowhead will be playing at Leif Nilsson’s Studio and Gallery .
For the younger crowd, Circle of Friends Montessori is hosting a May Daze open house from 5 to 7 p.m. featuring music, face painting, art projects and a “Chester Garden” by Leif Nilsson at his gallery during May Daze planting activity with Cold Spring Farm.
C&G is celebrating its 10th anniversary with 10 percent off everything in the store. Argentinian sparkling wine will offered.
A wine tasting by Sunset Hill Vineyards in Lyme will take place at BlackKate Leather and at Chester Package Store there will be a tasting of local beers “To Where” an 8x8 painting at Maple and Main by Janine Robertson of Madison from 5 to 7 p.m.
At Lark, MaryAnne Delorenzo of Beach House Stained Glass and Jewelry will be featured, and wine and appetizers will be served.
At Elle, everything will be 50 percent off in anticipation of a month-long closing in May for renovations and rebranding. A grand reopening will be on the first Friday in June.
Saturday, May 6, the students in Rayna’s Dance Studio will perform select numbers from their upcoming recital, “Love and Dance” at noon in downtown Chester.