School is almost out, the weather is warm, summer is finally here! In this article we will be taking a look at what our beautiful town has to offer for the summer season.
As I researched events, places, and activities, I slowly realized that our town offers too much to fit in just one article. If I really wanted to do our town justice, I needed to make a series of articles on summer offerings. From beaches to museums, festivals to carnivals, we have much to offer from forest to shore.
In part one of this series, upcoming town events will be showcased. Part two will showcase our beautiful beaches and parks. Part three will showcase our museums and historical sites. I hope this series will encourage readers to explore many of Stratford's summer offerings!
Find out what's happening in Stratfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
This year marks the 4th annual Stratford South End Expo and Youth Basketball Tournament. The event takes place on June 23rd from 1 pm to 4 pm. Enjoy vendors, live preformances, DJs, a bounce house, face painting, hot dogs, and drinks at Juilette Low Park on Woodend Road. The Youth Basketball Tournament will take place at the George Force Basketball Courts on Woodend Road. Registration for the tournament is free and includes team t-shirts. More information can be found here. Come celebrate the South End community!
Our annual Main Street Festival takes place on June 2nd this year, 10 am to 5 pm on Main Street. Formerly known as 'Stratford Day', this yearly event has it all. Live preformances, music, food, kiddie carnival rides, a car show, games, and over 100 vendors. This local street fair showcases a variety of local businesses and offers a large selection of goods and food. More information can be found here.
Find out what's happening in Stratfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
June 9th marks the 3rd annual Connecticut Open House Day. This is a state wide event. Stratford has some great options this year including;
- 11:00am - 9:30pm Beach House Grill offers 10% off all food and alcoholic beverages
- Goody Bassett's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe will offer 10% off orders of $10 or more
- Sterling House Community Center will offer tours on the hour
For a full list of offerings for this event please visit this article.
July 3rd is when Stratford celebrates it's Independence with music and fireworks. Fireworks are just after dusk, around 9 pm. But before the big show, come down to Short Beach and enjoy sun, fun, and live music! Starting at 7 pm at the concession stand you can enjoy a live band while you dance or relax in the sand. Information can be found here.
Throughout the summer, Friends of Short Beach will have their annual Summer Family Movie Nights event. Times are TBA. Bring a blanket or chair and some popcorn and enjoy movies with the family, or date night movies under the stars with the ocean as the backdrop. Movies are as follows:
6/1 Coco, 6/22 Jumanji, 7/13 double feature! Finding Dory/ Jaws, 8/3 Black Panther, 8/24 A Wrinkle In time. Date night moves are: 7/7 Princess Bride, 7/21 Titanic, 8/11 Grease, 7/18 is black and white Casablanca. Follow Friends Of Short Beach on Facebook for more information on this and other events!
The town's Summer Sunset Concert Series is back for another year! This on-going event starts June 12th and happens every Tuesday, 7-9pm until September 11th. Bring a blanket or chair down to Paradise Green and enjoy watching the sunset to live music. You can find more information here.
All events listed are free to attend, some require additional costs for goods and/or food. I hope that you attend some of these awesome events! Please look out for parts 2 and 3!