The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lighting up the sky
Middletown among communities throughout state putting on fireworks shows
MIDDLETOWN — Many Independence Day holidays are not complete without family and friends enjoying a picnic, festival or backyard cookout followed by the quintessential expression of American patriotism: pyrotechnics set off over a barge in the Connecticut River.
Final preparations are being made for city’s annual fireworks fest Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. downtown. The rain date is Sunday.
There will be a variety of music offered from two locations: the lawn at City Hall and Harbor Park (accessible through the pedestrian walkway). Entertainment includes gospel, soul, salsa, Nigerian pop and acoustic tunes by Alexander Nordlund and the Middletown High School Jazz Ensemble, Middletown’s own Jeff McQuillan, Okwy Osadebe Highlife Band, and the Mikata band from New Haven.
Middletown Symphonic Band’s synchronized music and fireworks will be simulcast over WMRD 1150AM and on the TuneIn Radio app.
Food vendors
⏩ Christiano’s Mobile (Lemonade Grenade): fresh/frozen squeezed lemonade
⏩ Iguanas Ranas Taqueria: Mexican
⏩ F&W Caterers: sausage, cheese steaks, foot-long hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken fingers
⏩ A & D Grille: Hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy
⏩ New England Soft Serve: ice cream, milkshakes, slush
⏩ Nutmeg Concessions: American and Italian treats
⏩ Bakery Boys: Fried dough
⏩ Thai Kitchen/Indochine Pavilion: Pad thai, sesame chicken, pineapple fried rice
⏩ Vecchitto’s Italian Ice
⏩ World Best Sundae: Soft-serve ice cream
⏩ Roma Pizza: Ice cream, pizza, hot dogs
⏩ Ultimate Sundae: Soft serve ice cream
⏩ Angella’s Hot Spot: Jamaican cuisine
⏩ Ted’s Restaurant: steamed cheeseburgers
⏩ Memphis Smoke House: Fried ravioli, fried chicken wings, fried Oreos, Jerry’s Pizza: Pizza, wings, fries, chicken, mozzarella sticks
⏩ Deb’s Café: Fried food
⏩ NoRA Cupcake
⏩ Muster Dogs: Hot dogs, chicken fingers, hamburgers
Road closures: 10 to 11 p.m. on deKoven Drive at Washington Street (no southbound traffic); 2 to 11 p.m., Court Street (between Melilli Plaza and Dekoven Drive); and 7 to 11 p.m., Harbor Drive and DeKoven Drive.
Dingwall Drive will be closed between
Metro Square and DeKoven Drive; Martin Luther King Way, closed between Metro Square and Dekoven Drive; River Road: closed between Harbor Drive and Walnut Street; Eastern Drive: between Silver Street and River Road (southbound traffic only), with access to Eastern Drive via Walnut Street to River Road.
From 5 p.m. on, no parking will be permitted in the upper Riverview Arcade parking lot.
For information, visit the City Arts Office on Facebook. To find parking, see cityofmiddletown.com.
Other fireworks festivals taking place around Connecticut include:
July 4
East Woodstock, Town Green, eastwoodstockchurch.org
Middlebury, Quassy Amusement Park, quassy.com
Manchester, Manchester Band Shell, manchesterbandshell.com
Mystic, Mystic Seaport, mysticseaport.org
New Canaan, Waveny Park, newcanaan.info
New Haven, East Rock Park, visitnewhaven.com
Ridgefield, Ridgefield High School, ridgefieldct.org
Rowayton, Bayley Beach, rowaytoncurrents.com
July 6
Danbury, Summer Stage Fireworks, Danbury Fair Mall, fairfieldafterdark.com
Norwich, Howard Brown Park, facebook.com/ norwichctfireworks
Stafford Springs, Stafford Motor Speedway, staffordmotorspeedway.com
Torrington, Torrington Middle School, torringtonct.myrec.com
July 7
Darien, Darien High School,
darienct.gov
Greenwich, Greenwich Point and Binney Park, greenwichct.org
Guilford, Guilford Green & Fairgrounds, guilfordparkrec.com
Lebanon, Summer Dance Fest, Lebanon Town Green, lebanontownhall.org
New Milford, Town Green, newmilford-chamber.com
July 8
Enfield, Town Green, enfieldcelebration.org
July 10
Vernon, Various viewing locations, vernonrec.org
July 13
Unionville, Carnival grounds behind Union School, tunxishose.com
July 14
Groton, Fort Griswold State Park, groton-ct.gov
Hartford, Great River Park & Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, riverfront.org New London, Sailfest, sailfest.org Portland, Fireworks Extravaganza, Portland High School, facebook.com/ portlandctfireworksextravaganza
July 21
East Lyme, downtown, celebrateeastlyme.com
July 22
Newington, Mill Pond Park, newingtonct.gov
July 28
Canaan, Lawrence Field, canaanrailroaddays.com
Aug. 4
North Branford, Potato & Corn Festival, Auger Field, facebook.com/ pg/NorthBranfordPoCoFest
For more fireworks information, visit connecticutmag.com.