Summertime shaping up as familiar events return
April 10, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
Fireworks light up downtown Waterbury in 2019. After taking 2020 off due to the pandemic, Waterbury Rotary plans to bring back the Not Quite Independence Day celebration June 26. File photo by Gordon Miller
It’s beginning to look like a “normal” summer lies ahead for Waterbury as announcements land sharing plans for many of the familiar events and celebrations that were put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week, Waterbury Rotary Club President Dan McKibben announced that club members are planning the Not Quite Independence Day celebration for June 26 along with 10 Thursday night Concerts in the Park starting June 17.
That news came on the heels of last week’s announcement from Waterbury Farmers Market manager Ariel Mondlak that the market is planning to return in June. Revitalizing Waterbury has also scheduled Waterbury Arts Fest as a one-day event in September and the Waterbury Flea Market is prepping to open in May.
Looking ahead to brighter days and more reasons to celebrate, the theme for this year’s NQID celebration is “The Roaring 20’s.” NQID, as it is called for short, is held annually on the last Saturday before Independence Day. The celebration in 2020 was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McKibben said the preliminary plan includes “a parade on Main Street, a lively concert, food vendors, and an amazing fireworks show.” This year’s date is June 26, with the parade starting at 4 p.m., McKibben said.
Each year’s parade and festivities have a theme. “The parade theme will be The Roaring 20’s to celebrate the 1920s (history, fashion, vehicles, etc.) and what we think the post-COVID 2020s will be like,” McKibben explained.
Bob Linck of Fusda Farm in Craftsbury wraps up a sale at the Waterbury Farmers Market in 2019. File photo by Gordon Miller
The NQID organizing committee is paying close attention to guidance from the state and the roadmap to reopening. “We intend to make this event safe and fun for everyone. Some details are still being worked out, including how the parade will be managed and the location for the concert,” McKibben said.
Organizers intend to hold all events in Waterbury Village. The public can expect to learn more by the end of May as plans are set.
That news came along with word that Rotary organizers will resume the popular Thursday night Concerts in the Park series, now in its 38th year. The weekly get-togethers will start at 6 p.m. in Rusty Parker Memorial Park. “The Rotary Club is closely monitoring the state’s guidelines for events and will develop plans to meet the requirements in effect at that time,” McKibben said. Specific details for the concerts will be announced prior to the first date.
The concerts overlap on Thursdays with the Waterbury Farmers Market which put the word out last week that registration is open for vendors to sign up for this summer. The market has a Facebook post with a link to an online application form for interested vendors. It explains that plans are coming together for the market to return on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. at Rusty Parker Memorial Park starting either June 10 or 17 and running through Sept. 9.
Details will be contingent on multiple factors including state COVID-19 guidelines and vendor interest. At this time, organizers are not looking to book musicians or nonprofits for the market. Mondlak asks that prospective vendors fill out the application form to help guide decisions around the market kickoff and operations.
Tim Simard and son Landon enjoy Waterbury Arts Fest 2019. File photo by Gordon Miller.
Last weekend, the Waterbury Flea Market posted on its Facebook page that it is aiming for early May to open at Farr’s Field on U.S. Route 2. The flea market ran last summer with strict guidelines. Some improvements added for this season include indoor restrooms, a new dining tent and vendor seasons passes, the market announcement noted. The market will use Facebook to post updates going forward.
Looking further ahead, various local officials are starting to plan around a celebration coming together for the weekend of Aug. 28 to mark the end of Main Street road construction along with the 10th anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene. Town officials, Revitalizing Waterbury, Waterbury Historical Society and others are focusing on that weekend.
Meanwhile, plans also are under way for Waterbury Arts Fest to return, although slightly later than usual. Prior to the pandemic, it was held over two days in July with a Friday night block party featuring live music and food vendors and an all-day Saturday market with artists, food and entertainment. Revitalizing Waterbury’s Executive Director Karen Nevin said organizers are eager to see the popular downtown summer event return and are hoping for few restrictions on gatherings by September. In its first foray back after more than a year of social distancing, Nevin said Arts Fest will focus on taking place for just one day with booths for artists and various vendors, but not the crowded dance party in the blocked-off street.
The 19th annual festival was called off last year due to the pandemic. After 18 years through 2019, it has become a signature annual event and key fundraiser for the nonprofit community development organization. More details will be announced later this year for Arts Fest 2021, Nevin promised.