Shop 'til You Drop: Fairfield's Sidewalk Sales are Saturday

Shopping, live music, a money machine, and sunshine are all in store for Fairfield on Saturday, when the town and Chamber of Commerce put on the Sidewalk Sale event.

Browsers can peruse over 75 vendors' offerings setup on the sidewalks along the Post Road, from the Heritage Square Shopping Center to the Promenade at the Brick Walk. Admission to the event, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free.

BizzBuzzTV has created a free smartphone app for shoppers to download prior to the sale. The app has short videos from participating merchants explaining the deals and specials they'll be offering. Select merchants will offer preview sales of merchandise on Friday.

Kids can enjoy activities on Sherman Green as parents shop. The Ludlowe Girls Swim Team and Letarte Swimwear are sponsoring a dunk tank -- see First Selectman Michael Tetreau and school board Chair Philip Dwyer take the plunge. Fairfield Ice Academy is conducting a slap shot hockey contest.

The Bridgeport Bluefish mascot BB and McGruff the Crime Dog are expected to visit. Marcia Patterson of "Put on a Happy Face" will be on hand for face painting.

Live music will line the streets throughout the event. Check out Fairfield's own Southbound Train from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sherman Green Gazebo -- other bans will be playing at the Brick Walk, the Fairfield University Bookstore, on Donnelly's Walk, and in front of the Community Theatre from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sneak in some exercise in between stores. Students and instructors from Kempo Academy will demonstrate traditional formwork, martial arts skills, and techniques like blocking, punching and kicking at the Brick Walk at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

All that shopping and kickboxing can make one hungry. Take a break and enjoy lunch at one of several participating restaurants in Fairfield Center, including Centro Ristorante, Café Madeline, Chef’s Table, Old Post Tavern, The Brasserie, and The Chelsea. Italian Kitchen will be offering a large selection of pasta dishes starting at just $2.00, as well as several specially discounted sandwiches. Plan B Burger Bar be serving up some of burgers via their mobile food truck.

Once you feel your wallet getting lighter, head to the Bank of Fairfield's Money Machine. Every half hour, the bank will conduct a raffle drawing and the winner gets 30 seconds to grab as much cash as possible in the machine. The equivalent of the money collected will be put into a Bank of Fairfield savings account -- there's a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $50.

For more information, visit the Fairfield Sidewalk Sale's official website.