The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Pride festival, cruise night coming up in June
MIDDLETOWN — Amazingly, we have reached midMay in Middlesex County, and the chamber continues to be on the move.
This week is another busy one for the chamber team with events and activities scheduled throughout our region. On Tuesday, the chamber’s newly created Strategic Events committee will meet through hybrid means at 3 p.m. This committee is tasked with evaluating past chamber activities and events with the goal of diversifying our programming.
A busy Thursday kicks off with a meeting of our Killingworth Division at the Killingworth Fire Department at 8 a.m. At this meeting, led by chairwoman Ann Pellegrini, attendees will hear town, chamber and member business updates, and tour the the station.
Also taking place at 8 a.m., the Recovery Employment Program Steering Committee is scheduled to meet through virtual means. This committee continues to address the increasing needs of individuals who have suffered from addiction, and are now in recovery to obtain gainful employment while being carefully monitored and coached through the process.
During the lunch hour, the chamber’s Board of Directors will meet at the Elks Crystal Ballroom in Middletown. This meeting, sponsored by Eversource, will feature remarks from Mark Boughton, commissioner of the state Department of Revenue Services. The Board of Directors acts as our governing body and provides the structure behind chamber initiatives, committees and councils as well as considers and implements policy and operational recommendations made by our Executive Committee.
Rounding out a busy Thursday will be the MEWS+’s return to inperson meetings with the latest installment of their pitch series, PitchMX. At this event, beginning at 6 p.m., six local entrepreneurs and founders will pitch their big ideas to attendees with the hope of gaining exposure, marketing, funding and growth.
Finally, in addition to these meetings that are specific to our chamber, I look forward to attending a virtual meeting of the Workforce Alliance Racial Equity & Accountability Initiative.
Friday morning will feature four important meetings through hybrid and virtual means. At 8 a.m., the chamber’s Legislative Committee, chaired by Richard Carella and Dan Moore, will meet via Zoom to discuss the 2022 legislative session, which recently ended in Hartford.
Also taking place at 8 a.m., the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council will meet through virtual means. The group works to reduce substance abuse in Middlesex County by providing trainings, informational sessions, and community engagement.
At 8:30 a.m., the Cruise Night on Main Street Planning Committee will meet through hybrid means as they continue to plan for the 25th annual Cruise Night on Main Street set for June 15.
Rounding out the week will be a meeting of our Affordable Housing Committee at 9:30 a.m. The committee, led by chairman Bob Fusari, was created to provide a voice for the business community in the important housing-based conversations in Middlesex County.
As you can see, the chamber continues to be on the move.
Excitement continues to build for the sold-out 39th annual golf tournament May 26 at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield. The committee, led by Dante Fazzina, has done a terrific job once again, and I am so appreciative of all of our sponsors, players, those who donated gifts, purchased tee signs, and many other chamber members who offered their support in a number of different ways.
We look forward to a great day on the course!
It is hard to believe, but our two largest events of the summer are only a few short weeks away. Our fourth annual Middletown Pride Fest is scheduled for June 4 from 2 to 10 p.m. in downtown Middletown. This daylong celebration will feature a march down Main Street beginning at 2 p.m., rally on the South Green beginning at 4, and showcase concert beginning at 7 p.m.
Middletown Pride will also host over a dozen events throughout the month of June, including two movie nights, a band night, an event to honor LGBTQIA+ activisits, a Main Street cleanup, events for the youth and teen populations, and more. For information, visit middletownpride.org.
Cruise Night will be returning to Main Street June 15 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. After two years of virtual events, we are excited to welcome back attendees with live music by Nightshift, terrific food, great vendors, hundreds of pre-1997 cars and trucks, and, of course, fun for the entire family.
This event will once again benefit Middletown Youth Programs including the Hal Kaplan Middletown Mentor Program, Middletown Recreation Programs, and the Middletown Summer Youth Employment Program.
To learn more, including sponsorship and vendor opportunities, or to register your vehicle, please visit cruisenightonmain.com.
I would like to thank event Chairman Joe Santaniello for his leadership and continued support of this event, and the entire committee that has been hard at work preparing for our return to in-person events June 15. We look forward to seeing you all on Main Street once again.
Have a great week!