LEAP Fair canceled due to school flood damage

March 14, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti 

Plans for Waterbury LEAP’s annual Energy Fair have been called off due to last week’s flooding at Crossett Brook Middle School. 

Exhibitors chat with LEAP Energy Fair attendees at tables in the Crossett Brook Middle School gym. File photo

The annual free event featuring green-energy and efficiency vendors, workshops, presentations and recycling typically draws hundreds of attendees from around the region and is the largest energy fair in the state, according to organizers. 

This year’s event was being planned for Saturday, April 5, said Duncan McDougall, who chairs LEAP (short for Local Energy Action Partnership), the volunteer nonprofit energy committee that has organized the annual event since 2007. The group made the call to cancel the fair after learning that its usual venue, Crossett Brook Middle School, will not be available as planned given the flooding that occurred there on March 6.

“At this late date, our LEAP volunteers have not been able to find a replacement venue that meets our needs, our schedule, or the schedule of our exhibitors and speakers,” McDougall said. “We're very disappointed as we have been planning and organizing this event for five months.”

The fair sets up in the school gym and the school’s parking lot; workshops and presentations use several indoor classroom spaces as well.

Repairs are under way through much of the school’s first floor after the building was damaged by water that entered through electrical utility conduit from the Crossett Brook which flows along the school driveway. 

The gym currently is divided in half with one section available for physical education classes and the other half being used to store furniture and supplies removed from classrooms and other spaces that had water damage and are being repaired. School officials this week said they are hoping to have the damaged areas ready for use after the school spring break in late April. 

For those who were planning to be exhibitors at the Energy Fair, LEAP Coordinator Alayna Howard said refunds will be made. Contact Howard at alaynahoward@gmail.com to make those arrangements.

Howard also noted that LEAP has more events planned for 2025. “We plan to host our usual EV (electric vehicle) Fest in the summer and may include additional vendors at that event to expand the information available to attendees,” she said.

In addition, volunteers will still conduct the annual LEAP presentation and poster contest at Brookside Primary School. Entries are usually displayed at the Energy Fair but instead will be displayed at the school, she said.

They also are exploring putting on a spring workshop with one or two of the presenters that were slated for the Energy Fair, Howard said. Look for an announcement should those plans come together. Learn more online at Waterbury LEAP.