Community, Cars, and Commerce at East Haven Fall Festival

EAST HAVEN

The East Haven Fall Festival is being held from Friday, Sept. 8 to Sunday, Sept. 10 at the Town Green and will once again be an active celebration of community, local businesses, and entertainment.

The honoring of East Haven residents begins with the ease that festival goers have in simply attending the event.

“We’re one of the only festivals in the area that you don’t have to pay for parking and you don’t have to pay for admission,” said organizer Noreen Clough. “It’s just another thing that we can offer the residents to come in and they don’t have to pay for.”

Mayor Joseph Carfora said that the festival “celebrates the vibrant spirit and personal bonds that make our town special,” and is an eventful way to pay respects to the “significant progress” the town has made in multiple areas such as recreation, economic development, and education.

“We’ve been working hard to enhance the beauty of East Haven, and I’m proud to say that we’ve made significant progress,” Carfora said. “The town Green has been transformed into an attractive and relaxing destination for residents to enjoy for decades to come.”

Celebrating local business in East Haven is a major fixture of the festival. Mayor Carfora praises their contributions to the enrichment and development of the town.

“East Haven has seen a record number of new businesses, driving economic growth, and creating job opportunities for our residents,” said Carfora. “This is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our administration and the entrepreneurial spirit of our community.”

To highlight this point of pride, a “business showcase” hosted by the East Haven Chamber of Commerce will present an opportunity for local businesses to display their services to residents. The event runs on Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will provide a time for festival goers to interact with small business owners and “see what East Haven has to offer,” said Clough.

The festival will also include a variety of entertainment and activities for all ages throughout the weekend, from musical performances to a craft fair featuring vendors from all over Connecticut.

“We try to cover every age group,” said Clough. “We have a Teen Corner to keep them entertained. We have rides for the kids.”

Mareena Amusements will be providing vintage-style rides at the festival, including a Ferris wheel. To go on the rides, festival goers will need to purchase a wristband for $35 that will grant them access to all rides. Individual tickets will be sold as well.

The Teen Corner will consist of an inflatable obstacle course, two-lane bungee run, and an inflatable rock wall, running between 5 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 8 and 9.

Another fixture of the festival will be the 28th edition of the Car Show. Organizer Dom Onofrio said that both classic and newer cars will be presented with “awesome” rides such as Corvettes and Chargers. A $10 entrance fee is required for a car to be featured, with all fees going to the East Haven Food Pantry.

Those who participate in the Car Show can enter a raffle for prizes. The prizes include $100 gift certificates to Goody’s Hardware and Stop & Shop. The top prize is a paid round-trip pair of tickets from Avelo Airlines in which winners will fly out of Tweed New Haven Airport, with luggage and seat assignment included, according to Onofrio. A trophy presentation will take place to honor the best car in show.

Musical performances will also run throughout the festival. The stage will be positioned toward the Hemingway Avenue side of the Green.

The headlining performer for Sept. 8 is Rubix Kube, billed as the “The Galaxy’s Most Excellent ‘80s Tribute Band,” playing some of the biggest names in hard rock of the decade.

The performers on Sept. 9 will include the East Haven High School Co-op Marching Band, The Timmy Maia Experience, and Get Down On It, a Kool & the Gang Tribute act.

Closing the festival on Sept. 10 will be vocalists Kenny Araujo and Michael the Son, Carol Sylvan, and Bobby T and the Name Droppers.

Among the many new food vendors at this year’s festival includes food trucks, marking the first time that those will be brought to the event, according to Clough. She said that “a lot of people have asked” for food trucks at the festival, and added that this is another way to support local businesses. Most of the food trucks and other vendors will be positioned toward the Main Street side of the Green.

Civic and nonprofit groups will also have slots at the festival, including Wreaths Across America, Tails to Paws Animal Support, and the East Haven Ladies Auxiliary Wing. They will also be positioned by the Main Street side. The East Haven Arts Commission will host its Art Show at the festival with a presentation of work done by local artists.

More details on the festival, including the schedule of events and list of vendors, can be found at https://www.easthaven-ct.gov/home/news/east-haven-fall-festival.