The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Weekend’s sidewalk sale offered a chance to get outside
NEW CANAAN — There were bargains. Friends caught up with each other. And for the first time since March, there was a legitimate chance to step out under sunny skies in downtown New Canaan.
The “So Long to Summer Sale,” on Friday and Saturday had fewer booths than the traditional midJuly Village Fair and Sidewalk Sale, with greater distance between them in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But steady crowds covered the distance from merchant-to-merchant both days.
“It was just the right amount of people each day so that it never felt congested or unsafe,” New Canaan Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tucker Murphy said. “There was 100 percent mask compliance with the exception of one man who was walking through who said he did not believe in them. He left ...
“The other aspect that many people noted, and just as important in my opinion as the actual sales,” Murphy added, “was several people stopped to tell me that this was their first time out in months. And it was a community service to create an event that had all safety protocols, but allowed them to see their neighbors and friends as they walked the streets.”
“It just feels great to be outside, to see a little life,” Mitch Hoffman said as he ran the 84 Sports booth.
“It’s nice seeing a little bit of life on the street,” he said.
Hoffman was selling masks bearing various New Canaan logos, a necessity when school opens next week. His store can also do custom designs.
On Main Street, Mark Gust was greeting customers who were browsing the racks outside the new location of Family Britches.
“It’s been a great move,” he said of relocating from Elm Street. “We love the space.”
He said Friday had been quiet, “but we’re comparing it to other years, pre-COVID, and it’s later in the season,” he said.
“It’s quite different from other years,” Kate Bell of Shoes and More said Friday after helping a customer examine wares on racks.
“It’s a little subdued this year,” Tess Johnson of J. McLaughlin said Friday. “But people are happy to be out.”
Murphy shared that one merchant told her and Laura Budd, who will soon take over the role of chamber director, that the team made quick work of the two days of setup and breakdown. The sale also offered a chance to unload some stock, with sales exceeding previous events by more than 20 percent, Murphy was told.
“Thank you so much for making this event wonderful and so comfortable and safe. We all are dealing with this crazy time and how it impacts our kids, our parents, our coworkers, friends and peers,” said an email sent to Murphy. “Today was such a nice reprieve from the craziness. The team got to do what we love.”