PHOTOS: Village Fair & Sidewalk Sale Held Downtown Saturday

More

2025 Village Fair & Sidewalk Sale

Hundreds of bargain-hunters crowded into the heart of downtown New Canaan on Saturday for the Chamber of Commerce’s popular Village Fair & Sidewalk Sale. 

Parts of Elm, Main and Forest Streets were closed to vehicular traffic on a comfortably sunny day.

“We are thrilled at all the organizations that have come out, all the vendors and—most importantly—all the shoppers who seem to be enjoying the bargains,” said Laura Budd, the Chamber’s executive director. “And we’re very blessed with the weather.”

Dr. Elle de Moll of Elite Dermatology Physicians participated in her first Sidewalk Sale as a business owner, with a booth set up on Elm Street.

“We’ve had a great day meeting people and talking about what we do,” de Moll said.

L-R: Kate Simone and Lorah Haskins of Connecticut Stage Company talk with passersby. Credit: Michael Dinan

Across the street, the Connecticut Stage Company also was participating in its first-ever Sidewalk Sale, co-founders Lorah Haskins and Kate Simone said.

Haskins said the event was an opportunity to get the word out about the nonprofit organization.

Simone said, “It’s been great for brand awareness and to show people in the community what we’re all about.”

Lauren Tarzia, founder and president of Inclusive Together, a nonprofit organization that embraces and celebrates neurodiversity through advocacy, education and support, said Saturday marked their second year with a tent at the Sidewalk Sale.

“This year we are concentrating on collecting donations to help with our initiatives right now,” Tarzia said from the organization’s booth on Elm Street. “One of them being having more sensory accessibility at our wonderful New Canaan events and that would be our ‘sensory reset spaces’ like our inflatable tent and ‘sensory reset vehicle.’ We also are raising donations for our training programs that will be taking place this fall and winter in restaurants and retail and other organizations. The YMCA has done some of our trainings, as well as the Steve Benko Pool, and we are also doing our trainings with our local schools—on empathy and how to be a better friend to our fellow students with disabilities.”

L-R: Lauren Connolly Nussbaum and Lauren Tarzia of Inclusive Together. Credit: Michael Dinan

Inclusive Together featured a “360 Photo Booth” this year and fundraised by selling cookies from Sweet P Bakery, which Tarzia described as “another wonderful business in the area that employs people with disabilities.”

“They are amazing,” she said. 

Asked for her vision of traditional New Canaan community events, Tarzia said, “I would love to have sensory-supported spaces at each one. Just like here today, eventually I want to have a sensory reset space at this event so that people can go and unwind. I’d love to have one at every single traditional event we do and even the school events. You name it we want to have it there for people who are neurodiverse or anyone there that needs a mindful break.”

Sale-goers toting bags, pushing strollers and clutching dog leashes stopped by the “Pop Up Park” area at South and Elm for lemonade and live music from The School of Rock and Town Band. The YMCA had its “Family Fun Area” set up at Main and Elm. The Athletic Shoe Factory set up several tables of shoeboxes and apparel on Forest.   

The team at New Canaan Pediatric Dentistry, L-R: Dr. Michaela Matos, Dr. Anna Simonis, Jhaimary Estrada and Leivy Espinal. Credit: Michael Dinan

Dr. Anna Simonis of New Canaan Pediatric Dentistry was out with her team “having a great time” at their Elm Street tent, she said.

“We have our tattoo artist here, my balloon guy,” Simonis said. “A lot of kids are coming by, grabbing frisbees and yo-yo’s. It’s great advertising for the practice and everyone is just having a lot of fun.”

One thought on “PHOTOS: Village Fair & Sidewalk Sale Held Downtown Saturday

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *