‘A Nice Downtown Community Event’: First Selectman Plans Summer Night of Music on Front Lawn of Town Hall

The idea first struck First Selectman Rob Mallozzi during the grand opening of Town Hall in September 2015 and then again last July when the 77 Main St. property hosted a Peruvian Independence Day celebration last July: Town Hall’s newly cleared front lawn provided a singular gathering space.

The front lawn of Town Hall. Credit: Michael Dinan

Mallozzi recalled realizing “what a beautiful setting this Town Hall has and the magnificence of having a lawn on Main Street really is a terrific combination.”

He’d seen the efforts that the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, Pop Up Park Committee and town put into the gathering space at South and Elm, and decided to use his office’s economic development funds to create an event out front of New Canaan’s main government building.

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, Norwalk-based Summertime Band will play for the community from the main steps out in front of the 1912-built brick structure.

“I’m hoping that people will come into town, park at Locust Avenue and walk up to Town Hall to enjoy the music and perhaps dine at one of our establishments in town,” Mallozzi told NewCanaanite.com. “I think it’s just a really, really night out and a way a to bring a little focus to the Main Street area of town as we kick off the summer.”

The street-level storefronts along that particular stretch of Main Street—between Locust and East Avenues—has seen a high vacancy rate in recent months, prompting town officials to consider an expansion of what’s allowed in those commercial spaces.

Asked what sort of approvals would be required for the evening he has planned, Mallozzi said he would check with the Special Events Committee and notify the police.

“This is really just in the spirit of a nice downtown community event,” he said.

The Summertime Band’s motto is “Music Anywhere, Anytime,” according to the six-man group’s Facebook page, and they play swing, rock n’ roll, classic rock, funk, doo wop, standards and a capella.