NEW LONDON, Conn. — Sailfest returned to New London Friday after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event was welcomed back with smiles all around.
"I love Sailfest. It's sad that we haven't been here for the last two years," said Adam Wrighten of Groton.
The summer festival welcomes hundreds of thousands of people to the city's Waterfront Park, bringing family and friends together for fun.
"It's nice to be outside and see others and to be able to be back to normal in a way cause you know it's been tough being cooped up in the house through the whole covid event," said Marissa Donofrio of Hebron.
With that many people in one place, there was a big emphasis on safety leading up to the event.
The New London Police Union was pushing for it to be canceled or at least scaled down, citing concerns about a staffing shortage.
"I was very aware that the police were concerned about people being outnumbered," said Max McGee of Hartford.
The city's mayor said they were prepared for large crowds thanks to helping from federal, state and local agencies. Many of which were present once the festival got started, giving people some peace of mind.
"I do feel safe, I see a lot of police officers walking around so that's a really good thing to know that they are here," Donofrio said.
"I don't really have any concerns, of course, we're always going to go with the adage, if you see something say something but so far so good I feel pretty safe being out here," McGee said.
For those who did feel comfortable attending, it was an opportunity to take in the sights and sounds along the water.
Sailfest's most popular day is Saturday, which ends with a big fireworks show. Both police and the mayor warned that there will likely be heavy traffic in the area because of it.
The festival runs all the way through Sunday.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at mmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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