Towns choosing smaller-scale summer events
Several Danbury-area towns are either canceling or planning traditional spring and summer events as the warm weather starts rolling in.
While residents are accustomed to grand Memorial Day parades or Fourth of July fireworks, some towns are canceling those celebrations in light of the pandemic this year.
Here’s what you should and shouldn’t expect to see happening in these Danbury-area towns:
Danbury
Danbury residents will not be gathering for an annual Memorial Day parade or Fourth of July fireworks as the Danbury Council of Veterans and Fireman’s Council have opted to cancel them. Since both events require longterm planning, organizers could not be sure of COVID conditions in the months to come, according to Mayor Joe Cavo.
“We’re on the edge of seeing how the vaccine works and that reflects in our (COVID-19) numbers,” he said, “and based on those numbers is how those decisions are made.”
COVID cases fell in the city earlier this year but rose again in mid-March. Cavo compared predicting future COVID conditions to developing a weather forecast. “Asking me ‘What is the COVID situation going to be June 15?’ is like asking me, ‘Can you tell me exactly what the weather is going to be like June 15?’” he said.
Angela Wong, executive director of the Danbury City Center, said the organization is not hosting its concerts on the green since the site will be under construction this year. The center is, however, planning a variety of smallerscale events such as a “dancing under the stars” event every last Thursday of the month as well as live music and shopping pop-ups on Friday nights during the summer.
Bethel
According to First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker, Bethel has implemented changes to its array of summer activities. Instead of a Memorial Day Parade, the Bethel Patriotic Society is hosting a wreath-laying ceremony on May 23 in its place. The St. Mary’s Carnival, another popular town affair, has been canceled as well.
While Knickerbocker hopes the COVID landscape will allow the town to continue its Food Truck Fridays, the event will not happen as it usually does. The start of Food Truck Fridays, which typically kicks off in the spring, will be postponed to a later date in the mid to late summer.
Ridgefield
Ridgefield, too, is canceling its plans for a Memorial Day parade and Independence Day fireworks. First Selectman Rudy Marconi said the events were canceled because “we don’t know where we’re going to be on July 4.”
“Of course, I’m a kid at heart, so I wanted to have the fireworks and a bigger display than ever before, but they voted me down,” he added. “There are a lot of things people are just tentative about, unfortunately.”
The town is scheduling a slew of smaller events for this summer, Marconi said, including the Ridgefield Arts Council’s (RAC) third Make Music Day in June, a spring stroll and concerts at Ridgefield’s various parks.
This year’s Make Music Day will act as a launching pad for Ridgefield’s “Summer of Song,” a promotion for music, art and cultural showings spearheaded by the town and local arts organizations. RAC Chair Jennifer DiLaura said the event aims to get people out and about in town and engage with arts organizations and businesses offering music, special displays and more.
The Parks & Recreation Department will hold additional free skating days for residents and potentially an end-of-summer recreation party in August, according to marketing and programming supervisor Kathy Fassman.
Redding
After calling off its Memorial Day parade last year, the town is still debating whether or not the traditional march will take place in 2021.
While Redding does not have any major events planned, it is continuing with a bundle of spring and summer events, including the annual Mount Trashmore clean up and a community-building project to maintain a public garden.