CONNECTICUT, USA — Festivals, fairs, and expos will be happening all over Connecticut this weekend, highlighting the best in local arts, food, and agriculture!
While the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby are making their way to Connecticut, any lingering showers will clear up by midday Saturday, west to east, leaving open a beautiful weekend to get out and explore.
Beginning this Thursday and running until Sept. 30 is The Farm's Annual Sunflower Festival in Woodbury! Discover peace from the world in this tranquil sunflower field. Wander through over 20 varieties of exquisite sunflowers that are thriving across four acres! These sunflowers are an array of brilliant colors from reds, yellows, cream, white, and orange! Choose one of your favorite sunflowers to cut and take with you at the end of your walk, or choose to pick a bouquet for an additional charge to take home. Learn more about the festival and book tickets here.
This Friday and Saturday, Candlelight Farms in New Milford will hold its Hot Air Balloon Invitational & Arts Festival! The event will feature the spectacle and splendor of colorful balloons set against the Litchfield Hills. Friday night will have a "Balloon Glow," there will be a juried art show, and there will even be a special photography seminar on Saturday for young photographers. There's something for everyone to enjoy. Learn more about the event here.
The love of the arts continues this Saturday and Sunday at the 66th Annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival! It's the oldest juried art show in the Northeast region and serves an audience of art enthusiasts and weekend visitors from local surrounding communities, New England, the tri-state area, and more. The trail of artists begins in downtown Mystic and follows the Mystic River into the shipyard of the Mystic Seaport Museum. The festival will showcase nearly 270 artists with over a mile of fine arts and crafts, including oils, watercolors, photography, textiles, and more. This is a free event to attend. Learn more here.
If you're looking to show support for Connecticut artisans and crafters, head to the Made in Connecticut Expo this Saturday and Sunday in Berlin! There are twice as many vendors for this year than in 2023. There are over 300 booths showcasing food, drinks, handcrafted products, local farmers, fashion designers, local authors, and so much more. On top of that, local Connecticut food trucks will be on-site, and local breweries and wineries will be sampled. This is the largest expo dedicated to Connecticut entrepreneurship. The expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Bring your appetite to Bridgeport this Sunday for the Connecticut Pizza & Brew Fest! Connecticut's pizza culture is renowned around the country, and this festival will celebrate it in full! Join pizza lovers from all over the state at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport from noon to 4:30 p.m. and enjoy pizza food trucks, craft beer, vendors, demonstrations, dough-throwing contests, learning how to make pizza, live music, and more! Learn more about this event here.
Also happening in Woodbury this weekend is the 19th Annual Green Corn Festival, an event that celebrates an integral part of the annual life cycle of Native American people! Welcome the first corn of the season with exciting activities, including drumming, dancing, children's activities, flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe), vendors, stories, and more! There will also be the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Lamb Meeches (Schaghticoke). While enjoying the festivities, get some refreshments at one of the various food vendors, including Jason Cogswell Lamb, Schaghticoke, of Mashquanon's Wetu, who will be serving up some of his favorite contemporary and traditional Indigenous dishes! This festival will take place Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Learn more here.
Finally, head to Niantic this Sunday for the Niantic Bay Triathalon! This is an exciting sprint distance race through scenic shoreline communities of Niantic and East Lyme. It's a great race for beginners or experienced triathletes. Swim a 1/2 mile in the calm water of Niantic Bay, bike an 11.4-mile loop through the charming community of East Lyme with picturesque views and shaded roads, and run 3.2 miles along the oceanfront lined with cheering spectators before a spectacular beach finish! Learn more about the triathlon here.
Of course, these aren't the only events taking place this weekend in Connecticut! For more ideas, head to CT Visit.
See you all next weekend!
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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