July 3, 2009

The Night Sky Lights Up With Fourth Of July Inspired Events This Weekend

Celebrate this Fourth of July weekend with an endless number of holiday inspired events from a 3-D fireworks show to a parade featuring marchers equipped with radios. Recognized as one of the best parades in Connecticut, the Independence Day Parade in Madison will kick off on Saturday. The parade features approximately 100 community groups, floats, bands, clowns, antique cars, trucks, bicycles and a number of professional performance groups. Go back in time this Fourth of July at Mystic Seaport during the Independence Day celebration. Experience Independence Day as if it were 1876 with special ceremonies and a parade! The fun begins with a noontime picnic on the Village Green followed by a children's parade at 1 p.m. Kids can test their knowledge in an old-fashioned spelling bee, churn ice cream or even play a game of croquet. Head to Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury on Saturday for a one-of-a-kind fireworks show. Purchase a pair of special viewing goggles for the 3-D Fireworks Spectacular that will light up the night sky as you and your family enjoy all the fun of the park. The holiday fun never ends at the Great American Boom celebration in New Britain this Saturday. Part of the day’s fun includes live concerts, inflatable’s, carnival games, clowns, rides, a petting zoo and a fireworks display to top it off!

The Mystic Memories Package at the Holiday Inn of New London offers the perfect excuse for you and your family to lose yourself in Mystic Country. Enjoy two adult and two children tickets to Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium during your two-night stay! Take advantage of the Stepping Stones Children’s Museum Package at the Hilton Garden Inn of Norwalk this vacation. Explore and discover the Stepping Stones Museum with a complimentary shuttle and two adult tickets included in your package!

For more values on lodging and visit packages around the state, click on Specials.

Get Your Fill With Fireworks and Festivals This Weekend!

WILI Boom Box Parade , Willimantic (860) 456-1111
Downtown Willimantic will transform into a unique parade ground this Saturday when marchers take to the streets in support of the holiday. The difference between this parade and others is that there will be no real bands marching, instead spectators bring radios and play them while local radio station WILI AM (1400) broadcasts the marching band music! The fun kicks off Saturday at 11 a.m.

Sounds of Liberty, Hartford (860) 460-5081
Take part in a meaningful celebration of the birth of this country at the State Capital this weekend. Replicas of the Liberty Bell will ring 13 times in recognition of the original 13 colonies at 2 p.m. around the country to honor the signers of the Declaration of Independence. A descendent of the signer George Read will give a short presentation on the Connecticut signers for the event starting Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Turn of the Century Fest , Litchfield (860) 567-4501
Come out to the Litchfield Green for an old-fashioned celebration that will include a pet parade, sack races, period music, sunflower seed spitting, tug of war, ice cream social and more! Take yourself back in time during this family affair Saturday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR JULY 14 TEXTILE HERITAGE TOUR

From Fiber to Fashion, Darien (203) 656-0207, (866) 656-0207
Don’t miss your chance to take part in a hosted and guided interactive Textile Experience through the mill towns of Eastern and Northeastern Connecticut. Discover how raw silk, wool and cotton were transformed into mass-market clothing and how they formed the basis of a textile tradition that continues today. Guided by a local historian, the trip will visit many sites across Eastern Connecticut including the Windham Textile Museum, the Safe Haven alpaca farm, the Still River Mill and a local weaver. Registration for this ConneCTions Tours event officially ends on Monday, July 6 so reserve your spot soon! The tour departs from New York and Connecticut locations on Tuesday, July 14 at 7:30 a.m.

These highlights represent just a sampling of the many exciting events taking place across Connecticut this weekend. For more information about these and other entertaining activities, click on Events.

This Weekend in Connecticut
July 3, 2009

NIANTIC
July 4 - 5 – Outdoor Arts & Crafts Show & Lobster Festival - Town Hall Grounds, 108 Pennsylvania Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357. Time: Sat. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Enjoy fine arts and crafts exhibited by more than 140 vendors during a juried show. Let your taste buds get in on the fun at the lobster festival and chicken barbecue which will be held in conjunction with the arts & crafts show. Admission: Free. Phone: (860) 739-9128

STAMFORD
July 3 – Schooner Sound/Water Fireworks Sail – SoundWaters, Cove Island Park, 1281 Cove Road, Stamford, CT 06902. Time: Friday 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Head out for an evening on Long Island Sound that includes one of the best firework shows in the state! Bring your dinner and your favorite beverage and relax aboard the 80' Schooner SoundWaters while watching the Stamford fireworks overhead. Admission: $60 per person (reservations are required). Phone: (203) 323-1978

SIMSBURY
July 2 - 3 – Talcott Mountain Musical Festival "Celebrate America" – Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows, Simsbury, CT 06103. Time: 7:30 p.m. Pack a picnic and a blanket then head to Simsbury Meadows with family and friends for a relaxing evening concert under the stars. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Edward Cummings the orchestra will captivate the audience with pieces following in the annual red, white and blue tradition. Admission: $5-$25. Phone: (860) 244-2999

NORWICH
July 5 – Semiseptcentennial Parade - Broadway to Franklin Square, Norwich, CT 06360. Time: 1 p.m. As part of Norwich’s 350th Anniversary celebration the town will pull out all the stops for a parade that includes floats, bands, antique cars and dignitaries from all over the world! Admission: Free. Phone: (860) 823-3742

GUILFORD
July 5 – Concert on the Green – Town Green, Guilford, CT 06437. Time: 6:30 p.m. The sweet sounds of jazz are coming to the Guilford Green this weekend! Head downtown with a blanket or lawn chair and relax while you listen to the smooth sounds of jazz quartet Marcel & Magnifique. Admission: Free. Phone: (203) 453-3890